Four Keelhaulers finish in double figures vs. Buccaneers

VALLEJO, Calif. – Cal Maritime shot 43 percent overall and 67 percent from three throughout the first quarter of Saturday's Cal Pac home game against Park Gilbert as fans witnessed a hard-fought opening period that ended in a 15-15 tie.

"We had a tough shooting night in our previous game against Benedictine Mesa. I really liked how we bounced back, found our groove and a good rhythm," said head coach Imhotet Amen-Ra.

What began in the first quarter carried over to the second as teams traded baskets, and the lead throughout the first five minutes of action. In all, a total of seven tied scores and five lead changes took place until Park Gilbert scored 14 unanswered over a four-minute timespan and entered the locker room at the half leading 37-25.

Even though the visiting Buccaneers extended that advantage by seven when the buzzer sounded to end the third quarter, the Keelhaulers remained aggressive throughout the last 10 minutes of the game, finished strong by scoring 25 points and ultimately saw four players finish post double-figure point totals in a game Park Gilbert won, 80-61.

By connecting on 6 of 11 attempts from the floor and 2 of 4 from three, Anika Carey set a new career high by leading all Keelhaulers with 16 points. Aysia Santos shot 5-for-8 overall, canned 2 of 3 shots from three to add another 14 points for the Keelhaulers, in addition to earning a team-high seven assists, and Alina Daffon hit all four of her baskets from three to finish with 12 points. 

"Aysia played a lot of minutes tonight and made an impact. Anika had a tough defensive assignment guarding Park's best player, and she still possessed the stamina to score 16 points. Alina came off the bench and gave us the spark we needed throughout the game and AP remained consistent with another steady performance," Amen-Ra added.

For the eighth time this year, Alicia Porter ended the game with a double-double; against the Buccaneers, she ended her night with 11 points and a team-high 10 boards. 

Porter will enter Thursday's 5:30 p.m. matchup against Simpson, the last of three straight played inside PEAC Main Gym, ranked fourth in the league at 15.6 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.

Added Amen-Ra, "I really liked how we finished with 16 assists on 24 field goals because it shows that we are doing a great job sharing the ball. After playing the league's top three teams, we know we have what it takes to compete and hang with anyone. I am proud of the way everyone is working hard and look forward to entering the second half of the conference's season."