This NCAA matchup was the second time that Amherst had met Clark, and remembering the triple overtime loss early in the season, the Jeffs knew that it was going to be a struggle. Unfortunately, although they fought hard, the Cougars came out on top, 89-76, despite the fact that the teams were neck and neck down to the final 10 minutes of play.
The first half was close, with the teams trading the lead nine times. Close to halftime, Clark opened up a six-point lead, which Steve Zieja '03 cut to four with a pair of free throws right before the break.
Coming out of the locker room with a 42-38 deficit, the Jeffs rallied hard to take a five-point lead with 11:40 remaining in the game. But Clark stepped up their level of play, both defensively and offensively, ultimately making a 16-2 run to top Amherst. Clark had four players in double figures, including two freshmen, Dave MacNamara and Trevor Walker, who both came off the bench to score 20 and 15 points, respectively.
Amherst had its share of exceptional performances as well. Zieja had a game-high 23 points and nine rebounds, including 18 points in the first half. Center Pat Fitzsimons '03 and Tri-captain Brian Daoust '01 finished in double digits, scoring 17 and 15 points respectively. Defensively Fitzsimons played well, with five steals and four blocks, but the Jeffs still had trouble stopping Clark's penetration. Rounding out the scoring for the Jeffs, point guard Ryan Faulkner '03 added six points and matched his career-best 12 assists, which he set in the previous Clark game this season.
Overall, despite the loss, the Jeffs were happy with their play and their incredible 22-6 season. The Jeffs ended the season tied with the 1993-1994 squad for the most wins in school history.
"We gave it our best shot, and everyone played as hard as they could," said Faulkner. "A couple of things just didn't go our way and Clark played an excellent game."
In the first round of the NCAA tournament the Jeffs hosted St. John Fisher, beating them 89-76.
Daoust led six Jeffs in double figures, and he also scored the 1,000th point of his career. Daoust finishedwith 16 points in the game.
Adam Harper '04 added 13 points and seven steals, a career-high, and Pat Taverna '02 added a career high 12 points on five-for-five shooting.
The Jeffs took a five-point lead heading into halftime, and they never trailed in the second half. Amherst had its best shooting day of the season, hitting on 32 of 54 shots, including 20 of 31 in the second half. Incredibly, the Jeffs shot over 50 percent, 11 for 19, from behind the three-point line.
St. John Fisher was able to close the gap to two points, at 54-52, with 11:41 remaining in the game, but a Harper steal and subsequent layup started the Jeffs on a 10-2 run that effectively sealed the game.
In the final minutes the Jeffs sealed the game with seven straight free throws and a breakaway dunk by Taverna, thrilling the capacity crowd at LeFrak Gym.
Unfortunately for Amherst, they finished the final minutes of their season to a Clark crowd cheering "Sweet Sixteen." But with only three seniors graduating, the men's basketball team will be a force to contend with in the future as well. Daoust, along with Tri-captains Erik Kelly '01 and Abe Sexson '01 [see sidebar, at right], will all be lost to graduation. However, the younger Jeffs will be able to step up and fill the roles left vacant by their predecessors. Zieja, Fitzsimons and Faulkner, along with standout Harper, will combine to form an impressive offensive and defensive combination for the Jeffs in their 2001-2002 campaign.