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Mary Markaryan had 16 points and 10 rebounds (photo by Stella Cheng)
Mary Markaryan had 16 points and 10 rebounds (photo by Stella Cheng)

CMS Women's Basketball Cruises Past Life Pacific in Home Opener 76-48



CLAREMONT, Calif. - Mary Markaryan (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Ruva Kiara (10 points, 10 rebounds) had their first career double-doubles, and first-year Renee Chong matched her personal best in her young (three-game) career with 17 points as the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's basketball team cruised to a 76-48 win over Life Pacific on Thursday night in its home opener at Roberts Pavilion.

With the win, CMS moves to 1-2 on the year after opening up with two losses on its Oregon trip to Willamette and Pacific over the weekend. Life Pacific falls to 2-5 on the season, including a win over SCIAC foe Occidental, and a loss to La Verne. 

Chong had 17 points in her CMS debut against Willamette and matched it with her game-high total on Thursday. Markaryan and Kiara were part of an effort on the glass that had CMS with a 54-39 edge in rebounding, with Ariana Dalia almost reaching double figures as well with nine. 

Life Pacific was within 17-13 late in the first quarter, but CMS scored 10 straight points spanning the first and second quarters to take control. Markaryan started the run with a basket, Sadie Heckman followed with another and Chong made two foul shots to close out the first quarter with CMS up 23-13. Chong and Ava Grey started the second quarter with baskets to push the lead to 14, and Kiara closed out the half with a buzzer-beating three-pointer to give CMS a 40-24 lead at halftime. 

Kayla Ishibashi started the second half with another three-pointer, and Kiara's second three-pointer of the game stretched the lead to 20 for the first time at 48-28, and the Athenas weren't threatened the rest of the way as they went on to a 28-point victory. 

CMS will be back in action for the David Wells Classic next weekend, taking on Augsburg at home on Friday at 6:30 p.m., and then playing Cabrini at Pomona-Pitzer on Saturday.