Athenas Open Season with Northern Victory

TACOMA, Wash. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's basketball team opened the 2017-18 season with a 63-57 victory over the Pacific Lutheran Lutes in the McArthur Classic on Friday night. Maya Love (CMC) collected a double-double to lead the Athenas with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Coming off the bench, Kate Parrish (CMC) was a rebound shy of a double-double in her collegiate debut, finishing with 13 points and nine boards.

Katelynn Nguyen (SC) was the leading scorer for the Athenas with 15 points in the game.

The Athenas opened the season with a strong first quarter to take an 18-11 lead after 10 minutes of play. CMS spread the scoring around with six different players collecting points in the first quarter. Katelynn Nguyen led the effort off the bench with a made three and a pair of free throws for five points.

Despite struggling to shoot the ball at times in the opening quarter, CMS controlled the boards. The Athenas out rebounded the Lutes 13-6 in the opening 10 minutes including five offensive rebounds.

The Athenas shot the ball much better in the second quarter, going 7-11 from the field and making their only three attempted. Nguyen knocked down the triple and Kate Parrish led the offensive effort with seven points in the quarter. The Lutes matched the Athenas' pace, scoring 17 points of their own in the period. At the half, CMS held a 35-28 lead.

Coming out of the half, Pacific Lutheran's Madison Salisbury quickly made it a four-point game with a pair of layups and a free throw, but CMS responded with a 6-0 run midway through the third-quarter to take their lead back up to nine at 44-35. Love, Kailee Severt (CMC), and Corinne Bogle (CMC) each each contributed two points on the quick burst.

Nguyen hit a three and a pair of free throws during a 6-2 CMS run to end the quarter and helped give the Athenas a 52-42 lead heading into the final 10 minutes.

The Lutes chipped away at the CMS lead throughout the fourth quarter and eventually got the lead down to six at 59-53, following a Madison Salisbury layup with 1:50 remaining. With under 40 seconds left, the Lutes' Kylee Johnson made a jumper to make it a 60-55 game, but CMS went 3-4 from the free throw line in the final 30 seconds to close out the contest and open the season 1-0 with a 63-57 victory.

The Athenas will wrap up the McArthur Classic tomorrow night when they take on the host Puget Sound Loggers at 6:00 p.m.