The Jeffs committed 23 turnovers on the evening and squandered a double-digit second half lead before storming back in the last two minutes of play to secure the six-point win. Tri-captain Steve Zieja '03 led all scorers with 32 points while tri-captain Pat Fitzsimons '03 was one block away from a triple-double. He finished with 11 points, 15 rebounds and nine blocks.
"Overall I am glad that we won, but I am disappointed with the way we played," said Hixon who later added, "But good teams have to make their own luck and we did that tonight."
Amherst began its season over Thanksgiving break by successfully defending its title in the Ken Wright '52 Memorial Invitational Tournament. The host Jeffs looked impressive in dismantling the weak field, winning their two games by a combined 53 points.
The Jeffs opened the tournament and their 2002-2003 campaign with a first-round matchup against a rebuilding New England College team. After posting a 4-21 record last year, New England College hired a new coach and brought in several new players in an attempt to reverse their fortunes this season. But the Pilgrim team was simply no match for the veteran Jeff unit. Amherst won the first-round tilt by a comfortable 91-55 margin. The key to Amherst's victory was their dominance in the paint due to the stellar play of Zieja and Fitzsimons. Fitzsimons scored 22 points on 10-12 shooting while Zieja added a team-high 23.
The Jeffs actually found themselves trailing their overmatched opposition early in the first half, but three consecutive Pilgrim turnovers ten minutes into the game allowed Amherst to take a commanding lead that it would not relinquish. The Jeffs played in championship form en route to securing a commanding 44-30 halftime lead.
Amherst's impressive run at the end of the half removed all doubt as to the eventual outcome of this opening-round game, and allowed many of Amherst's reserves to see extended action in the second half. However, it didn't hurt the Jeffs that the young Pilgrim squad compiled an impressive 28 turnovers during the game.
In addition to Zieja and Fitzsimons, starting swingman Adam Harper '04 finished with solid numbers. Harper, the NESCAC's steals leader last year, led the pesky Jeff defense with a game-high five steals.
The Jeffs returned to action the following day in the tournament's championship game against Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). WPI had defeated Johnson State University 84-74 in its opening-round tilt, but the Engineers were unable to keep pace with Amherst, falling to the Jeffs by a score of 74-57.
Once again, Amherst started the game off slowly before building a sizable advantage with a late first half run. A Zieja three-pointer five minutes before intermission instigated a 13-0 Amherst run-allowing the Jeffs to take a sizable 41-29 lead heading into the half.
The second half of play proved to be more than just a formality when the Engineers scored the first seven points of the final period to cut Amherst's lead to five. Hixon settled his team with a timeout and the Jeffs responded immediately with a tournament-clinching 10-0 counter run. Three steals from Harper defined this run as defensive intensity fueled another offensive spurt from the Jeffs.
"The thing that has impressed me about our team thus far is our defense," said tri-captain point guard Ryan Faulkner '03. "We have been playing great on and off the ball defensively which has lead to steals and easy baskets."
Harper, who finished the game with 11 points, eight rebounds and a school-record 11 steals, was named Tournament MVP. The junior compiled an astonishing 16 steals over the two-day tournament. Pat Fitzsimons and Steve Zieja joined Harper on the All-Tournament Team. Fitzsimons topped all scorers in the championship game with 19 points, and led the way in rebounds and blocked shots as well-12 and six respectively. Zieja chipped in with 15 points of his own.
Amherst capped off its pre-Thanksgiving action with a trip to North Adams to take on Massachusetts College. In last year's season-opener Mass. College fell to Amherst by a whopping 116-57 margin. The Trailblazers fared little better this year, losing 115-84. Fitzsimons again led the Jeffs with 20 points and 11 rebounds in a game that Hixon's crew dominated throughout.
Amherst will next participate in the Pioneer Valley Classic this weekend. The Jeffs play Westfield State University on Friday and Springfield College on Saturday. Amherst is hosting the classic-format tournament this year.