Purchase, NY (Nov. 16, 2016) – Varrell Eddie was on the bench the last time the Panthers reached the conference final at the end of the 2013-14 campaign.

Eddie is back at Purchase this winter – this time not as the assistant coach on a Skyline finalist but rather the leading man, the new head coach – and he's returned to restore the Panthers to a championship contender, he says.   

The women's basketball program took their first step forward Wednesday night in a 65-56 victory over Bard College. For Eddie, it is his first collegiate win as a head coach, and for a team that won only three games a year ago, 1-0 looks awfully good.

Before a sizable home crowd, the Panther women got off to a rousing start. The team led 15-2 in the first quarter and stretched the lead to 18-4 on a 3-pointer from Frances Minaya (SR/San Fernando, CA). Minaya then came right back with a two-pointer for the team's largest lead, 20-4.

Although Bard narrowly outscored Purchase 13-11 in the second quarter, the Panthers took a 34-27 lead into the locker room at halftime. The first half was highlighted by the trio of Minaya, Amber Jones (SO/Bronx, NY) and Dayja Medina (FR/Brewster, NY). The three combined for 32 of the team's 37 points, with Jones leading the way with 13, Minaya adding 10 and Medina connecting on two 3-pointers en route to nine, first-half points.

Sarah Morris paced Bard in the first half with six points.

The Raptors would show plenty of fight in the second half, cutting the deficit to four points late. But Panther guard Kayla Ortiz (JR/Brooklyn, NY) buried a top-of-the-key 3 during that stretch that reestablished the lead. Ortiz had several highlight reel plays in the second half, scoring 14 of her game-high 17 in the second half. Ortiz shared the game-high with teammate Jones. 

The Panthers led 55-46 at the end of three quarters, backed by the playmaking of Ortiz and Jones. Jones added four rebounds, three assists and two steals in a solid all-around effort. Ortiz and fellow guard April Uhl (SR/Jackson Heights, NY) totaled six boards to share the team lead.

Both teams scored 10 points apiece in the fourth, with the Panthers fending off a potential Raptors comeback to secure the first collegiate head coaching win for Eddie.  

Bard had four players finish in double figures offensively, including Alexis Akingbade. She finished with a team-high 14 points. Akingbade also recorded eight rebounds, one behind game-high leader Megan Phelan.

The Panther had three players in double figures. Eddie also utilized most of his bench with nine players seeing action in the season-opening win.