Women's Basketball Headed to Region XX Title Tilt

WESTMORELAND, PA – Freshman Sydney Woodland  exploded for 16 second-half points as the Anne Arundel Community College women's basketball team rallied past Butler County Community College, 64-54, in the NJCAA Region XX semifinals Saturday afternoon at Westmoreland Community College. The second-seeded Riverhawks advance to the Region XX championship game Sunday, February 23, at noon and will face top seed Prince George's Community College (13-12).

Woodland finished with a game-high 24 points, including a three-of-five effort from three-point range. Sophomores Sarah Healy and Autumn Foster-Fields each posted double-doubles as Healy scored 14 on seven-of-nine shooting to go with 11 boards. Foster-Fields added 15 points and 13 boards – 12 off the defensive glass.

Despite finding themselves in foul trouble early, the Riverhawks (11-14) headed to the locker room down by just three, 30-27, after leading the foul count, 14-5, in the opening half.

AACC chipped away at the lead, tying the game at 32-32 on a Foster-Fields three-pointer, and eventually building up an eight point lead with 2:43 left to play in the third. The momentum then shifted to the Pioneers, who got back to within one by the end of the third, 42-41.

The Riverhawks opened the fourth on an 8-0 run, leading 50-41 by the midpoint. AACC maintained the distance to hold on for the 64-54 win.

Sunday's game marks AACC's second-straight trip to the Region's title tilt; last season the Riverhawks defeated B3C, 74-54, to claim the 2019 Region XX title and advance to the district tournament.

In the two teams' regular-season matchup, Prince George's fended off a Riverhawks' comeback bid with a 75-63 win in Arnold on December 14, 2019. Healy recorded her eighth double-double of the season to go with a career-high eight blocks in the game.