The women's basketball season came to a grinding halt on Feb. 15 when they were soundly defeated 69-57 by Little III-rival Wesleyan University. The loss left them with a 2-7 record against NESCAC opponents and an overall record of 12-11, destroying any remaining hopes the team had of making the playoffs.

Amherst got off to a good start against Wesleyan and took a 29-27 advantage into halftime. The second half looked like a different game altogether as Wesleyan went on a 17-5 run. Shooting over 50 percent from the field in the second half, the Cardinals quickly extended their lead to a 17 point advantage and never gave the Jeffs another chance.

Prior to the Wesleyan loss, guard Shannon Russell '04 came into the Springfield College game on Feb. 12 needing just 16 points to reach 1,000 for her career. Playing in her last home game of the season, Russell did not disappoint. Once again leading the Amherst attack, Russell scored 27 points on 10 of 18 shooting, the second-most points she scored all season in a single game. Russell became one of only seven other females in Amherst history to have scored 1,000 or more points in their careers. Her shooting carried the Jeffs to an impressive 68-46 win.

The win marked the end of a losing streak and the beginning of a two-game tear which saw the Jeffs notch wins over Springfield and Connecticut College. Sara Bass '05 said, "Sometimes you get in a rut. In those situations, it is really easy to break up, but we stuck together and pulled out of it."

The Jeffs carried the momentum into their Feb. 14 match against NESCAC rival Conn.. College, winning 76-61. "We played well as a team and moved the ball with patience," said senior tri-captain Sarah Walker. The Jeffs put up an outpouring of offense prowess as Russell scored 22 points, Walker had a double-double with 16 points and 14 boards and Katie Latham '06 added 17 points.