WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Palm Beach Atlantic women's basketball team returned to Rubin Arena tonight to play its first home game in two weeks against the Barry Buccaneers. The Sailfish fell in a low-scoring game to the Bucs 62-51, who are second in the Sunshine State Conference standings. The loss takes the 'Fish to 5-12 on the season.
Things were looking up for the Sailfish early, as they came out of the gate with high energy on both ends of the floor and opened the game on a 7-0 scoring run.
Kash Ayuso scored an early five and finished with seven points in the opening quarter. After the quick start however, the basket got small for the Sailfish as they shot 4-of-17 in the quarter. Fortunately, they were making life difficult for the Bucs on the other end of the floor, holding them to just 11 points in the opening ten minutes, but trailed 11-10.
Both sides struggled to find their offense in the second quarter as each team shot under 25 percent.
Mariyah Fletcher was a good spark off the bench for PBA as she scored three points in the quarter and had six rebounds in the first half. Harriet Swindells got hot from deep at the end of the first half as she hit on three straight three-point shots and scored 11 of her game-high 19 in the quarter. Her solo 9-0 run pulled the Bucs ahead 27-18 as the team went into the locker room.
The deficit grew in the third quarter, as the Sailfish were outscored 18-13. PBA was just 2-of-10 from the field in the quarter but were able to hit on 9 of their 14 free throws. Ayuso, Fletcher, and
Jahnae Midget all scored four points for PBA in the quarter.
The Sailfish have been a strong fourth-quarter team all year long as they continue to battle in games no matter the score. They put on the full-court pressure, trying to get back into the game which helped PBA win the quarter 20-17. PBA cut the deficit to 11 on multiple occasions but was unable to get it to single digits. Midget had six points and
Shekinah Guthrie, who battled foul trouble throughout the night, had five points in the fourth quarter.
PBA finished 16-of-54 on the night and was able to hit just 2-of-18 from three. Ayuso and Midget each finished in double-figures with a team-high 13 points. Fletcher was strong inside as she put in seven points and pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds.
PBA is back in action this weekend when they play at Rollins on Jan. 22 at 2 pm. The Tars are 4-10 on the season and 1-8 in the SSC. In a meeting earlier this season, the Sailfish took down the Tars 65-55 in West Palm Beach.
