The Jeffs opened their season with a big win in the first round of the Amherst Classic, but couldn't maintain their momentum. The Jeffs are now 1-2, but the pair of early loses won't be enough to suppress their drive for a winning season. The team began their 2006-07 campaign with a solid performance against UMass-Dartmouth in Amherst's invitational tournament. They outscored UMass-Dartmouth 71-50, with every player seeing court time. There were only two newcomers on the court for Amherst, but these athletes adjusted in no time. Transfer forward Kerry O'Laughlin '09 made her presence known with a game-high 19 points while rookie forward Samantha Swensen '10 grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds.
Standout tri-captain Shaina Pollack '08 is clearly going to be a key force for Amherst once again this season. The point guard commands the court with precise passing and outstanding ball control. She dished out eight assists against UMass-Dartmouth while adding 15 points of her own. Pollack's strong performances0 throughout the tournament earned her a place on the Amherst Hoops Classic All-Tournament team. Pollack knew, however, that the team shouldn't just ride on the coattails of their first win.
"Winning our opening game gave us a lot of confidence," said Pollack. "But we also realized that since it's early in a very long season we still have a lot to work on and improve."
Despite a victory a day earlier, the Jeffs suffered their first loss to Piedmont College by a score of 67-57. This time around, tri-captain forward Stefanie Reiff '08 controlled the offense. he notched a game-high 20 points while shooting perfectly from the free throw line.
Reiff again proved to be a leader for the Jeffs in their third contest of the season against Pioneer Valley foe Mt. Holyoke College. The junior executed in all aspects of the game as she totaled 13 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. She was supported with the aggressive play of fellow junior forward Anne-Claire Roesch '08, who led the Jeffs with 15 points while grabbing seven boards. Muller made her first appearance of the season in the second half, and tallied five points in only 13 minutes of court time. Amherst out-rebounded Mt. Holyoke, but the squad dropped to a 1-2 record with a narrow 58-54 loss on Tuesday night.
The Jeffs won't let these two losses crush their hopes for a NESCAC crown. Amherst's schedule is flooded with challenging but anticipated match-ups. Early season losses shouldn't be weighed too heavily; every team needs some time to adjust to a new roster and synchronize its rhythm.
The Jeffs will spend practice time perfecting their strengths and improving on their weaknesses. "At this point in the season, we are really trying to focus on communicating with one another, executing offensively and increasing our defensive intensity," said Kerry O'Laughlin '09. Amherst will get another chance to test their progress against Keene State in Keene, N.H., on Tuesday.
NESCAC Notes
Amherst won't face a NESCAC opponent until Jan. 6 when they take on Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. Bates, Bowdoin, and Middlebury Colleges are the only NESCAC teams still with unblemished records. Middlebury's Emily Johnson earned NESCAC Player of the Week honors with an MVP performance in LeFrak this past weekend.