AUBURN – FM's Lady Raiders entered the Spartan stronghold on Wednesday evening and enjoyed their best offensive performance of the young season, routing the Cayuga CC squad 105-64.
Freshman Silvia Vasquez Rivera scored with a spin move, Abby Boyer added two free throws and a three-point basket, and FM led 7-3. They kept adding to that lead and soon, despite Cayuga's commendable effort, the FM Six were in charge of the game. The Lady Raiders built a 48-35 halftime lead, and then increased their offensive production in the second 20 minutes.
Photo, right: Stephanie Rice won the jump and had a huge game; Silvia Vasquez Rivera (left) had a breakout game
Two Lady Raiders enjoyed especially big nights. Senior Stephanie Rice led both teams in scoring and played a double-double game, netting 25 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Freshman Vasquez Rivera has shown plenty of speed, skill, and agility in this young season. She stepped up her play against the Spartans by posting her highest point total yet (20), making alert plays, and playing aggressive defense.
Photo: Silvia Vasquez Rivera
FM opened the game with an offensive blitz. Evanda Redwood's three-pointer made the score15-6. Seconds later Redwood sank another trey. 18-6. Jessica Woney drained a long two, Rice sank a three, and the Lady Raiders had reached the 25-point mark in just over eight minutes.
Photo: Evanda Redwood sinks a three-pointer – she finished the night with a dozen points
The Lady Spartans played a scrappy game, but the Lady Raiders were in full control of the contest. FM led 48-35 at the break.
Woney's 12-foot jumper opened the second half. Head Coach Kevin Jones substituted freely, and FM kept up the scoring pace regardless of which players were in the game.
Abby Boyer had another strong outing. Her scoring mirrored the team's performance in the two halves. Boyer tallied eight points in the first half and 10 more in the second stanza.
Photo: Abby Boyer driving and scoring
FM led 73-46 with 9:00 remaining, and then they upped their offensive output. (See photo at the bottom of this webpage.)
Angel Gittens scored from behind the arc to make the score 92-63. Then Gittens fed Rebecca Shepard who scored a nice field goal. It was then apparent that FM might reach the century mark.
Vasquez Rivera stole the ball and went coast to coast to score a two-pointer while being fouled. She sank the FG and the FT. 97-62. Then, with 53 seconds to play, Taniesha Woods put up a beauty from behind the center of the arc. 100-62.
Candice Frost added a field goal, and Vasquez Rivera tossed in one more trey. The final score was 105-64. That total was the team's highest in recent years. Last season, the Lady Raiders defeated Schenectady CCC 99-88 on December 3.
The win was the third in a row for the FM Six. They raised their record to 3-2, and are now preparing for a Sunday tilt at Onondaga CC. Onondaga defeated FM in the Region 3 championship game last season, and the Lady Lazers are 5-0 this year. The contest this coming Sunday is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. tipoff.
C.J. Bonny, website writer
Scoring:
FMCC 48-57 105
Cayuga 35-29 64
FMCC: Vasquez Rivera 6-5-20, Woney 2-0-4, Richard 1-2-4, Rice 7-6-25, Redwood 4-2-12, Gittens 1-0-3, Woods 1-0-3, Frost 2-1-6, Shepard 1-1-3, Boyer 6-5-18, Pope 3-1-7; Total 105
Cayuga: Robinson 1-1-3, Everson 5-2-12, Williams 4-5-14, Chambers 1-0-2, Thayer 0-1-1, Mueller 2-0-6, Chase 7-6-24, McGrath 0-2-2; Total 64
Photo: The scoreboard tells the story as Stephanie Rice launches a shot
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