Purchase - 57, Farmingdale State - 49
Farmingdale, N.Y. - Senior guard Amber Yarter (Albany, N.Y.) scored 23 points on 7-for-18 shooting to lead Purchase College past Farmingdale State, 59-47, in today's Skyline Conference women's basketball game. FSC dropped to 0-7 overall and 0-4 in the Skyline, while the Panthers improved to 5-5, 3-2.
Tied at 5-5, the Panthers used a 3 from senior guard Amber Jones (Bronx, N.Y.) and two straight jump shots to take a seven point edge. After Rams' junior forward Christina Rayfield (Commack, N.Y.) hit a jumper, Purchase closed the quarter with three straight 3-pointers to go in front 21-7.
Farmingdale State opened the second quarter on a 9-2 run as sophomore guard Jami Cardenas (Bay Shore, N.Y.) knocked down a trio of 3's to cut the deficit to 23-16. The Panthers outscored FSC 4-2 over the final 4:42 of the half as they entered the break with a 27-18 advantage.
Cardenas led all scorers with 14 first half points, including four 3's.
Over the first 4:51 of the third quarter, the Rams outscored Purchase 8-5 to close within just six, 32-26. Senior guard Selena LaFranca (Smithtown, N.Y.) hit a jumper, Rayfield tallied two layups and sophomore forward Alexis Hunter (Brooklyn, N.Y.) registered a layup during the run.
The Panthers would respond by closing the quarter on a 9-2 run to take a 41-28 advantage into the fourth.
Leading 43-31 with 6:22 on the clock, Yarter would hit a 3-pointer before converting a three-point play to give Purchase an 18-point lead.
Still down by 18, 51-33, FSC used a Hunter free-throw and back-to-back 3's by LaFranca and Cardenas to cut the deficit to eleven, 51-40. After Hunter recorded a layup to close with nine, Yarter knocked down another 3 to regain a 12-point edge.
Farmingdale State outscored the Panthers, 9-6, in the final 1:12 but would come up just short as Purchase went on for the conference victory, 57-49.
Cardenas finished with a team-high 17 points, while Rayfield shot 6-for-7 from the field for 13 points. Hunter recorded a career-high 19 rebounds to go along with nine points, two assists and two steals.
Yarter tallied 17 of her 23 points in the second half and pulled down five rebounds, junior guard Savannah Lopez (Monroe, N.Y.) added 13 points and six rebounds, and Jones produced 12 points, five assists, five rebounds, and a game-high four steals for Purchase.
Farmingdale State next hosts Yeshiva University for a Skyline contest on Tuesday, December 11th at 6:00 p.m.
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