PAXTON, Mass. – Regis College could not put together a consistent offensive effort, and Anna Maria College took advantage as the AMCATs defeated the Pride, 63-42, Thursday night in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference women's basketball game at the Fuller Activities Center.
No member of the Pride reached double figures in scoring, as Katryna Veasey (Quincy, Mass.) led the team with nine points, plus she pulled down seven rebounds. Sam D'Angelo (Woburn, Mass.) finished with seven points and 10 rebounds, while Arie Searcy (Santa Rosa, Calif.) and Valerie Martin (Derry, N.H.) added six points and six rebounds apiece.
Anna Maria (5-12, 2-2 GNAC) scored the first four points of the game, but Regis quickly responded with four points of its own. After Amber Wilson hit a three-pointer, the Pride scored seven unanswered points, starting with a traditional three-point play from Martin and capped by four straight points from D'Angelo, to take an 11-7 lead late in the first quarter.
The AMCATs would score seven straight points in the final minute of the opening quarter, punctuated by a three-pointer from Wilson at the buzzer. Anna Maria took control with seven unanswered points in the first four minutes of the second quarter, and then the home team rattled off 11 straight points in the final three minutes of the period to extend its lead to 34-17 at halftime.
Wilson hit a layup one minute into the third quarter to give the AMCATs a 20-point advantage, but Regis battled back, scoring nine unanswered points to close to within 11 at 37-26. However, consecutive three-pointers by Sienna Johnson and Mariah Carey late in the quarter increased Anna Maria's lead back to 20, and the AMCATs still held a 49-32 lead at the end of the third quarter.
After a traditional three-point play by Johnson at the start of the fourth quarter, Regis showed signs of a rally with five straight points by Veasey. However, baskets by Johnson and Wilson midway through the quarter stopped the Pride's momentum, and Anna Maria was able to cruise to the victory.
Wilson led the AMCATs with 18 points, six rebounds, and six steals, while Johnson finished with 16 points, four rebounds, and four assists. As a team, Anna Maria shot 38.7 percent (24-of-62) from the field, including 7-of-22 from behind the three-point line, and 53.3 percent (8-of-15) from the free throw line.
The Pride struggled from the field, hitting just 23.6 percent (13-of-55) from the field, including 2-of-19 from behind the three-point line. Regis did make 77.8 percent (14-of-18) of its free throw chances and won the rebounding battle, 45-41, but the Pride committed 28 turnovers, leading to 33 points for Anna Maria.
Regis (5-11, 1-3 GNAC) makes the short trip to Lasell College to face the Lasers Saturday, Jan. 19, starting at 1 p.m. Lasell will have a week between games, last playing on Jan. 12 in a 61-55 loss to Colby-Sawyer.