Second-half surge leads women's basketball past Purple Knights

SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - The American International College women's basketball team used a dominating second-half performance to defeat Saint Michael's College in a Northeast-10 Conference basketball matchup, 58-43, on Friday, January 28.

FAST FACTS:
Final Score:
Records: AIC moves to 7-9 (4-6 NE10), while St. Michael's moves 3-11 (1-7 NE10)
Location: Butova Gym Springfield, Massachusetts



KEY STATS:
AIC:
Destine Perry: 15 points, six rebounds
Nora Young: 14 points, three rebounds, four assists
Kyla Smith: eight points, 10 rebounds, two steals

St, Michael's
Paige Slaven: 11 points, eight rebounds
Emma MacDonough: 11 points

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Graduate Destine Perry opened the matchup with a jumper almost a minute into the game to give AIC the lead. After a field goal from the Purple Knights, rookie Nora Young found the bottom of the net, and on the following possession junior Kyla Smith stole the ball and sophomore Kayla Robinson hit the nylon to make it 6-2.
• The Purple Knights took control of the next 7:21 as they went on a 13-5 run that extended to the 8:21 mark of the second quarter, putting the guests ahead 15-11.
• AIC had a 5-0 run of its own over the next minute and a half to take the 16-15 lead on a driving layup by graduate Sara Guntin Barreiro at the 6:57 mark. Saint Michael's closed out the first half with an 11-2 run as they took a 26-18 lead into the locker room.
• AIC came out hot in the first four minutes of the second half as Perry, Young and Smith combined for 14 points while holding the Purple Knights to four points and taking the 32-30 lead. The Yellow Jackets led 43-41 after three quarters of play.
• The first two minutes of the fourth saw no points but the Yellow Jackets turned that around with a 9-0 run as they took an 11-point lead and forced a Purple Knight timeout with under five minutes to go. The break did not faze the Yellow Jackets as junior Zoe Willis hit a driving layup to extend the run.
• The defense kept the Purple Knights scoreless for the first eight minutes and 23 seconds as AIC ended the game on a 22-6 run and earned the 58-43 victory.

STELLAR SECOND HALF:

• The Yellow Jackets outscored Saint Michael's 40-17 in the second frame.
• AIC shot 10-of-13 in the third frame, a 76.9 percent clip that included going 3-of-3 from deep.

NEXT UP:

• The Yellow Jackets are scheduled to host Adelphi University on Thursday, February 3 at 5:30 p.m.