Garden City, New York - After a slow first-half start, the BMCC women's basketball team put together an impressive third-quarter rally to cut a 14-point halftime deficit down to five twice but ultimately fell short 88-70 to NJCAA Division III No. 14 ranked Nassau Community College in Region 15 action on Saturday afternoon. The Panthers fall to 5-11 (5-9 Region XV) with the loss, while the Lions improve to 11-6 (8-3 Region XV).
 
Sophomore Emily Kennedy (Brooklyn, New York) spearheaded the Panther's offensive attack, registering her team-leading seventh 20-point game of the season, dropping a team-high 29 points, including 11-for-14 at the charity stripe (78.6 percent) while dishing out a team-best five assists. Kennedy now has 13 career 20-point games after Saturday afternoon's contest and moved into fourth all-time in program history with 570 career points, surpassing Ashley Brooks's 551 career points from 2015-2017. 
 
Freshman Stephany Coward (Queens, New York) came off the bench, dropping a career-high 15 points and knocking down a career-best three three-pointers. Classmate Sheliyah Jackson (Bronx, New York) hauled down a team-best 12 rebounds for back-to-back double-digit rebounding performances and her sixth on the season while snagging five steals, another team-high.
 
The Panther's defense recorded double-digit steals for the eighth straight contest and 14th time this season with 15 steals on Saturday afternoon, with four players gobbling up two or more steals and six recording at least one. Freshman Mariah Wigfall (New York, New York) and Kennedy had three each, while Kamella Ross (Bronx, New York) had two, and Jania Simmons (Brooklyn, New York) and Patricia Perez (Brooklyn, New York) each had one.
 
BMCC also shared the basketball well again at Nassau Community College, racking up their third straight double-digit assist game with 12 on the day as Jackson dished out three dimes while Coward, Ross, Simmons, and Wigfall each had one. The Panthers also shot 70 percent or better at the charity stripe for the second straight game, going 15-for-21 (71.4 percent).
 
Nassau Community College exploded out of the gate to a 17-point lead and held the Panthers to one field goal in the first 4:52 to lead 19-2 on a pair of free throws from Mia Cheatham. The Panthers fought right back, responding with an 8-1 run over the next 1:20 to cut the deficit down to 10, 20-10 at 3:32 on a Coward jumper. The Lions scored six of the following nine points to bring their lead up to 13, 26-13 on a Mia Cheatham free throw after the conclusion of the first quarter.
 
Nassau Community College got right back after it in the second quarter, opening with a 10-3 run to build their lead to 20, 36-16 at 6:02 when Mia Cheatham went 1-for-2 at the line, then after Kennedy hit a three-pointer at 5:02 to cut the deficit to 15, 36-21 the Lions would get the advantage to 21, 42-21 at the 3:11 mark. The Panthers finished the first half strong, outscoring the Lions 11-5 over the final three minutes with a pair of Kennedy free throws with 10 seconds left, cutting the Nassau lead to 14, 47-33 at halftime.
 
The Panthers came out punching in the third quarter, getting the Nassau Community College lead down to five twice by outscoring the Lions 18-9 over the first 7:47. Jackson's layup at 3:18 cut the lead to 56-51 at the 3:18 mark, then a Kennedy layup at 2:17 got it back down to five, 58-53. Nassau would shut the door the rest of the way, closing the period on a 9-0 run capped off by a Cheatham three-pointer with 19 seconds left, lead by 14, 67-53 going into the final stanza.
 
The Lions shut the door in the final quarter of play, building their lead to its largest of the day 23, 88-65 on a Cheatham jumper at 1:12 and cruising the rest of the way to an 88-70 victory.
 
The Panthers will look to make it back-to-back CUNYAC victories when they host Queensborough Community College in conference action this Tuesday, January 30, at 5:30 p.m. at BMCC Gymnasium in New York, New York. For more information, visit the BMCC Women's Basketball Schedule Page.
 
Notables –
 - Emily Kennedy (Brooklyn, New York) has put up double-digit scoring efforts in all 15 games and 27 straight times dating back to the 2022-23 season, with 28 double-figure games in her last 29 contests. 
- Kennedy ranks in the top ten nationally in four statistical categories, ranking fourth in steals per game (5.4) and fifth in steals (76) while also being tied for fifth in the country in assists per game (5.5) and 10th nationally in scoring average (19.8).
- Kennedy constructed another solid week for the Panthers, averaging 23 points per game, 10.5 rebounds per game, 6.5 assists per game, and 6.5 steals per game in the Panther's two games against Laguardia Community College and Nassau Community College. The Brooklyn, New York native also shot 14-of-29 from the field (48.2 percent), 3-of-10 from three-point range (30 percent), and 15-for-18 at the line (83.3 percent) in the two contests as well.
- Kennedy is the Panthers top player leading the squad in 12 different categories in points (297), scoring average (19.8), field goals made (100), field goals attempted (222), free throws made (88), free throws attempted (137), rebounds (139), rebounding average (9.3), assists (82), assists per game (5.5), steals (79), and steals per game (5.3). 
 - Kennedy is fourth all-time in program history in two categories career steals (129) and career assists (119).
- Kennedy is 10th all-time in career rebounds with 264 for her career.
- Freshman Sheliyah Jackson (Bronx, New York) became the second Panther player to record 100 rebounds this season as her total stands at 114 rebounds, which is second on the team. Jackson averaged 12.5 RPG, 3.5 SPG, and 2.5 APG in the Panthers two contests this week.
- Freshman Mariah Wigfall (New York, New York) is second on the Panthers with 63 steals and third with 96 rebounds.
- Freshman Stephany Coward (Queens, New York) averaged 10.5 points per game in the Panthers' two contests and knocked down four three-pointers.


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