Despite losing 74-70 to archrival Williams College in last weekend's NESCAC Championship game, Amherst was able to secure a berth and a first-round bye in this year's NCAA Tournament on the strength of the team's 22-4 record. The Lord Jeffs will play the winner of this Thursday's first-round contest between Southern Vermont and Lasell Colleges. Amherst soundly defeated Lasell 94-65 back in January but have not faced Southern Vermont for several years. The Southern Vermont Mountaineers feature an athletic group of players and have won 18 of their last 20 games. However, Southern Vermont did lose to Williams by 29 points earlier in the season. If the Jeffs should advance to their second consecutive Sweet 16 with a win on Saturday, they will likely face the University of Rochester, a Final Four team last year.