Box Score
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The fifth-seeded American International College women's basketball team cruised to a 60-41 win over fifth-seeded Pace University Tuesday night in the quarterfinal round of the Northeast-10 Championship Tournament at Butova Gymnasium. Sophomore guard
Laechia Conley (Urbandale, Iowa) scored a game-high 16 points and grabbed seven boards to lead the Yellow Jackets.
AIC improved to 20-11 with the victory, marking the 10th 20-win season in program history, while the Setters fell to 18-11 for the season.
Senior forward
Stacy Boisvert (Agawam, Mass.) netted 15 points to go with five rebounds for the Yellow Jackets. Freshman guard
Michelle DeRoma (Boston, Mass.) and freshman forward
Rhea Pascal (Pickering, Ont.) added eight points each off the bench.
Pace was led by junior forward Taylor Losey (Bristol, Conn.), who also scored 16 points and made 6-10 attempts from the field. Freshman forward Brittany Shields (Cold Spring, N.Y.) added 12 points and seven boards and junior guard Laura Mooney (Staten Island, N.Y.) chipped in with eight points and four rebounds.
The Setters scored each of the first two baskets of the game before AIC used an 11-2 run that was capped by the DeRoma three to take an 11-6 lead six minutes in to the game. Pace tied the game at 13 at the 9:09 mark of the first half before the Yellow Jackets went on a 16-2 run, which included six straight points from Pascal, to close the period and take a 29-15 lead into the locker room at the half.
AIC held a 17-point advantage, 42-25, after DeRoma drained a jumper midway through the second half before an 8-0 that was capped by three from Losey brought the Setters back within nine with three minutes later. The Yellow Jackets responded with a 13-0 that was capped by a pair of Boisvert free throws to take a 57-35 lead with 3:04 to go in the contest.
AIC was dominant on the glass, outrebounding Pace 40-23, and turned 13 offensive rebounds into 17 second-chance points. The Yellow Jackets had a huge advantage in bench scoring, outscoring the Setters bench 19-3.
AIC will next travel to top-seeded Franklin Pierce Friday for a 7 p.m. NE-10 semifinal contest. The Ravens advanced after soaring past ninth-seeded Southern New Hampshire, 81-59.