Middletown, CT --- Anna Maria senior Samantha Ashton (Worcester, MA/Burncoat) notched a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds to help pace the AMCATS to a 61-51 victory over Worcester State in the opening round of the Courtyard Marriot Inn Tournament at Wesleyan University.

Anna Maria improves to 3-1 overall while the Lancers slip to 1-4 on the season. The win snapped a three-game skid to the Blue and Gold as the AMCATS last defeated WSU during the 1998-99 campaign. It marked the first contest between the two squads since the 2003-04 season.

For Anna Maria, junior Chelsey Blair (Holland, MA) added a team-best 14 rebounds with nine points and Ashton dished out five assists. Senior Amanda Hevy (N. Brookfield, MA) also recorded 10 points and five caroms.  

Junior Kara Rogers (Lowell, MA) paced Worcester State with a squad-high 13 points as senior Molly Hein (Hudson, NH) chipped in with 10 points. Senior Kaleigh Charette (Fairhaven, MA) grabbed a career-high 16 boards and sophomore Meaghan Burns (W. Brookfield, MA) also pulled down 10 rebounds.

Anna Maria jumped out to a 14-6 advantage midway through the contest before WSU went on a 7-0 run to get within one point of the lead with 6:44 left in the opening frame (14-13).

But the AMCATS slowly pulled away with an 11-3 spurt that were bookended by trey's by sophomore Liz Sama (Windsor, CT) and freshman Katie Pryor (Whitinsville, MA) as they would take over a 25-16 edge with just over three minutes left. Anna Maria would eventually settle for the 30-19 lead at the intermission.

The AMCATS would maintain their double-digit advantage for most of the second half until Worcester State trimmed the lead to nine with 7:24 (45-36) and seven with 2:24 left to play. Anna Maria though would make nine of their final 16 shots from the free throw line to clinch the victory.

WSU trailed by six with two minutes left, but made just one of their final eight shots from the field. They would outscore their opponents 32-31 in the final frame.

The difference in the game was how both squads shot in the contest. Anna Maria finished with a 40 percent clip from the floor (20-for-50) and they made eight of the 16 three pointers that they attempted. WSU only connected for 17 of their 70 shots for the game (23 percent) – including just four of 19 from beyond the arc.

The Blue and Gold also held margins in several categories including total rebounds (52-47), offensive boards (25-12), points in the paint (26-18) and points off of turnovers (26-16).

Anna Maria swiped 11 balls to force 17 Lancer turnovers and they also led in defensive caroms with a 35-27 margin.

AMC takes on Wesleyan in tomorrow's championship at 3 PM. Worcester State takes on winless UMaine Presque Isle (0-4) at 1 o'clock in the consolation.