SPRINGFIELD, Mass. The American International College women's basketball team downed Adelphi University in a Northeast-10 Championship rematch Saturday afternoon at Butova Gymnasium, 71-40.
With the win AIC improves to 2-0, both overall and in NE-10 play. With the loss, Adelphi drops to 2-2 overall and 0-2 in the conference.
In a game with only a single lead change, the Yellow Jackets dominated from start to finish. A Panther three by Tara Flynn opened the game, but American International quickly responded with a junior Imani Stepney (Willingboro, N.J.) lay-in followed two series later with a senior Brianna Bishop (Suffield, Conn.) trey. Adelphi would tie the score on two occasions at five and seven points all, but the Jackets took control from there.
The Jackets ended the first quarter on a 9-0 run capped off by two senior Sydney Tepley (Racine, Wis.) baskets to take a 16-7 advantage into the second.
For the second straight game AIC used the second frame to gap their opponent. In two tilts the Yellow Jackets have outscored their opponents 47-20 in the second quarter of play alone.
American International used an 11-1 run propelled by spectacular ball movement to open a 15 point lead that grew to 21, 39-18. Seven different AIC players scored in the second as they took a commanding edge into the halftime locker room, 39-20.
Adelphi scored on their first possession of the second half, a Ashley Gomez jumper and added a free throw to cut the deficit to 16, which proved to be the closest margin they would come the rest of the way.
Bishop knocked one down from behind the arc to put AIC back up by 19, 42-23. The fourth year guard scored seven of her game-high 15 points in the third, while filling the stat sheet with three rebounds, a steal and an assist.
With a 20-point lead after three, 52-32, the Jackets cruised into the final quarter. AIC was sent to the line six times in the final 10 minutes of regulation and connected on 11-of-12 free throws to keep the insurmountable advantage.
Four Jackets finished in double figures. Behind Bishop's 15 was freshman Dana Watts (Rochester, N.Y.) with 11, and Tepley and freshman guard Jayda Gilmore (Eldridge, Md.) with 10 apiece. Stepney scored six second half points and grabbed a game-high 10 boards.
Jacket senior's Ebony Easter (San Antonio, Texas) and Chrystal Holland (Stoughton, Mass.) provided solid minutes off the bench, each chipping in six points apiece.
AIC shot 47.2 percent (25-53) from the floor while holding the Panthers to 24.1 percent (14-58).
The Yellow Jackets return to action Tuesday, Nov. 24 when they travel to Southern Connecticut for a 5:30 p.m. NE-10 tilt with the Owls.
