AMHERST, Mass. -- Amherst College led wire-to-wire as the Mammoths defeated visiting Bates College, 71-60, Friday evening in the NESCAC season opener for both squads.
The home team opened the night by outscoring the Bobcats, 29-14, over the first quarter of play. A pair of successful free throws from Annie McCarthy provided the Mammoths what would be their largest lead of the night, an 18-point cushion (29-11), with nine seconds remaining in the frame.
Bates countered in the second period, opening the session with a 17-3 surge (capped by an
Alexandra Long lay-up) to slice its deficit to just one point with 2:52 left before the break. This would be the closest the Bobcats would come the rest of the way as Amherst inched ahead to create a 37-33 advantage heading into intermission.
After a three-pointer from Long put Bates to within six (50-44) with 1:15 to go in the third, Anna Tranum (1:08) and Reagan Pahl (00:07) sent through a lay-in and a three-ball, respectively, to put the Mammoths up by 11 (55-44) going into the final period.
Down by a score of 59-47 with 7:43 left, the garnet and white rattled off a 9-2 run to climb to within five (61-56), thanks to an
Elsa Daulerio jumper at the 1:09 mark. Daulerio later connected on a pair of free throws with 23 seconds on the clock to put the Bobcats back to within six.
Now leading 66-60, the Mammoths (10-2, 1-0 NESCAC) proved successful with five-in-a-row from the charity stripe to close out the 11-point triumph.
Four members of the Amherst lineup achieved double-digit scoring efforts. Kori Barach led the victors with 16 points, including a six-for-six showing from the free-throw line. The aforementioned McCarthy followed with 15 points while Maya Cwalina and Tranum contributed 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Only five Bobcats tallied points in the setback, none more than Long as the senior accounted for a career-high 25 in 38 minutes of play. The team captain hit eight of 16 attempts from the field, including seven of nine three-point attempts, also a new career mark for the native of Newtown, Pa.
Sophie Spolter netted 16 points and secured a game-high seven rebounds while Daulerio contributed 15 points for Bates (9-4, 0-1 NESCAC).
After combining for 32 points and six three-pointers in Tuesday's 70-65 home win vs. Babson, the starting duo of
Sarah Hughes and
Ava James was held scoreless on this evening vs. Amherst.
The Bobcats look to rebound Sunday afternoon with a 1:00 p.m. tilt scheduled in Clinton, N.Y. at Hamilton (11-3)
