Although Amherst lost four key seniors to graduation last year, the team seems to be doing more than just rebuilding. Stand-out rookie forward Matia Kostakis leads the team in both points (67) and rebounds (59), remarkable feats for a first-year player. The team has also seen strong play from sophomore transfer Jenny Muller, whose first games as a guard at Amherst has been extremely notable; she follows Kostakis in points with 62. Combining the young players' strength with the veterans' experience and leadership has helped the women surpass early expectations.
Trampling non-conference opponent Keene State 48-33, the team used an early run to establish the pace of the game. Amherst took an early 15-2 lead, but Keene State came back from behind to tie the score at 17-17 with only three minutes remaining in the first half. The Jeffs fought back and put in 11 consecutive points before halftime, five coming from junior guard Ali Flato.
Amherst stayed hot and knocked in 16 points at the opening of the second half. The Jeffs refused to give up the lead for the remainder of the game. First-year point guard Shaina Pollack rocked the Owl offense with a career-high five steals, while Muller and Kostakis each had 10 points. Also establishing her defensive prowess was junior forward Julie Smith, who grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds, blocked two shots and intercepted three balls. Amherst held Keene State to 21.4 percent shooting from the floor, while the Owls could only put in one of 10 free throws.
The women followed the mid-week win with an exciting 76-72 overtime victory over Westfield State College at the Pioneer Valley Classic on Friday night. Kostakis scored a game-high 23 points (10–14), recording her second career double-double and grabbing a game-high 16 rebounds. In what was a good matchup, neither team built up a notable lead throughout the first half, which ended with Westfield State up by one, 31-30.
Fighting back, Amherst held an 11-point advantage with less than five minutes left in the game, only to let the Owls answer with a 13-2 run. Meghan McCarthy hit a free throw with two seconds left, but she missed the second toss, sending the game into overtime. Amherst dominated the extra period, outscoring Westfield State 10-6 to take home the win. Muller scored 14 points and junior Katie Latham nabbed a double-double, dropping 12 points and 12 rebounds.
After the two consecutive wins, the Jeffs fell in the championship game to Springfield College, 67-59. Despite the loss, Amherst had three players score in double digits: junior co-captain Krissy Morin with 15, Muller with 13 and Latham with 12. Latham also snatched nine boards and had four dimes.
Holding on to an early 10-point lead proved too much for the Jeffs to handle. The Pride came back with a 36-10 surge to lead at halftime, 43-27. Amherst struggled to begin the second half, allowing Springfield to push its advantage to 20 points. Amherst went on a 24-9 run, however, bringing the point deficit to five. The Pride managed to hold onto the narrow margin, preventing the Jeffs from scoring another point.
"It was tough losing to Springfield, but they're a good team," said Morin. "I'm very optimistic after this past weekend's play; we came back from a 20-point deficit to within five points. We showed a lot of heart last weekend, and I am very encouraged."
Morin's enthusiasm is not unfounded. The Jeffs are making tremendous progress, improving their overall record to 4-2. With their first league game over a month away, they have time to work on their weaknesses. "I think there has definitely been some improvement over the last few weeks; we're getting to know how each other plays more and more," said Morin. "We just need to execute and play the way we know we can." Tonight's 7 p.m. tilt with non-conference foe Smith College will give the squad another chance to hone its skills. Amherst's first home game is against Clark University on Saturday at 4 p.m.