by Jenna Mauriello
The Panthers women's basketball team bested the St. Francis College Bears 80-76 in a hard fought game last night, to advance to the semifinals of the Skyline Conference.
Captain Amber Jones, played 58 minutes, racking up 22 points, five rebounds and three steals to finish as the leading scorer. Senior Guard Amber Yarter finished close behind with 20 points, while Shadai Plowden and Nyasia Harris put up double digits as well, with 13 and 10 points respectively.
The Panthers and Bears were neck and neck throughout the first half, with The Bears entering the second half ahead 33–29, the Panthers were able to break ahead during the second half, but the Bears were close behind.
Yarter said she felt pressure during the second quarter when the scores were getting closer, she said, “When number 10 (Victoria Porcasi) on the other team hit a three to put them closer to us. I knew then that we had to lock in and finish the game”.
The Panthers were in sync as a team, Yarter said. “The bench, the coaches and the players on the court, all were on the same vibe. We were all focused while getting super hyped after every play then getting back into it right after that”.