This weekend in Salem, Va. the Jeffs will try to get over a hump and into uncharted territory. Although this is the team's third trip to the Final Four in the last four years, their previous two trips have bounced them in the semifinals. Last year against Wittenberg University, the Jeffs led by eight points with under five and a half minutes to play. But Amherst would score just once more for the remainder of the game. After John Casnocha '06 missed a game tying three in the closing seconds, the Jeffs went on to lose 64-60. In 2004, Amherst fell 86-81 to archrival Williams College, losing in similar fashion.
Luckily, sports have one universal truth: There's always next year. And this year the Jeffs have fought their way back to another Final Four and another opportunity to bring home the Walnut and Bronze. Getting there however, was no easy task.
Last Friday, the Jeffs faced Stevens Institute of Technology in the round of 16. The Ducks had barely snuck into the tournament after losing in the semifinals of the Skyline Conference Tournament, but had managed to score two large upsets over Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Ramapo College largely on the strength of forward Waleed Farid, who scored 41 points and grabbed 19 boards in the two-game regionals. Amherst had earned the right to host the sectionals on the strength of its record, and the Jeffs used the home-court advantage to help them jump out to a fast start against Stevens.
After trailing 2-0 after 17 seconds, the Jeffs quickly scored twice and never trailed again. Amherst made sure to keep momentum on its side by keeping the crowd involved. Midway through the first half, point guard Andrew Olson '08 lobbed a half-court ally-oop to center Kevin Hopkins '08 who finished with an explosive reverse two-handed slam that sent Lord Jeff Nation into hysterics. When the Ducks looked like they might crawl back within single digits before the break, Olson answered emphatically by hitting a three-pointer to end the first half with the Jeffs leading 48-34.
Amherst built the lead to over 20 points in the second half and went on to cruise to a 97-74 win. The stifling Jeff defense held Farid to just seven points on 2-12 shooting, and the Ducks to just 40 percent shooting on the night. Olson's double-double led the way for Amherst, scoring 17 points and distributing 13 assists. Hopkins and quad-captain guard Tim McLaughlin '07 both added 15.
The most important part of the box score for the Jeffs however, was simply the presence of the names of jumiors Matt Goldsmith and Aldophe Coulibaly. Goldsmith saw his first action of the year after breaking his leg before the beginning of the season, while Coulibaly had a long absence after having to return home to the Ivory Coast. Both players were welcomed back with standing ovations from the Amherst fans.
After demolishing the Ducks, the Jeffs faced a more difficult opponent in the Anchormen of Rhode Island College in the Elite Eight. Amherst was already familiar with RIC, having faced them earlier in the year on the road in Providence. Although the Jeffs came away with a 62-48 win in that meeting, they learned that the Anchormen could certainly be dangerous, as the Jeffs had trailed throughout much of the first half in that contest.
RIC proved themselves to be up to the challenge again on Saturday, ambushing the Jeffs out of the gate to take a 6-0 lead after three quick lay-ups. Forward Brian Baskauskas '09 stopped the bleeding with a three, but the Anchormen continued to bother the Jeffs with pressure defense and strong drives to the lane. Trailing 16-10 midway through the first-half, Amherst went on an 11-0 run that was book-ended by Olson threes. After RIC pulled within two, the Jeffs went on their second big run of the half, this time scoring nine unanswered points.
The lead oscillated for the rest of the period, but the Anchormen cut the lead to single digits just before the half. Then Olson spotted up from the volleyball line, well beyond even an NBA-range three pointer, and nailed the shot as time expired in the first half to give the Jeffs a 12-point edge at the break.
Despite Olson's heroic three, the Anchormen showed that they still had fight left in the second half. An early 6-0 run by RIC cut the lead in half. Although Amherst was able to build its lead back to 10, RIC fought right back, cutting the lead to just three points after a Brian Stanko trey. Quad-captain forward Dan Wheeler '07 got the Jeffs back on track with a lay-up and fellow quad-captain guard Mike Salerno hit a tough fade-away jumper to get the lead back to seven. A Fletcher Walters '08 basket put the Jeffs up by nine, and gave them enough breathing room to finish out the game.
Amherst went on to win 81-69, subbing out each of the seniors in the final minute to give the fans a chance to say goodbye to the players in their last game at LeFrak Gymnasium. The fans were also considerate enough to stick around to watch as the players and Head Coach Dave Hixon '75 each cut down a piece of the net.
Olson was named sectional MVP for the second consecutive year after scoring 19 points against RIC. Wheeler was also named to the All-sectional team for the second time after dropping 18 on the Anchormen. Baskauskas finished with a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 boards.
However, as any member of the team will tell you, none of that matters now, because, well, its all been done. This team's goal from the very beginning was to accomplish what none of the other great Amherst teams before them has accomplished: go to the National Championship game, and they want to win it all. "That first win is important for one reason: it gets us one step closer to our ultimate goal," said Baskauskas. "We are not worried about past years or what we used to be, we are worried about now and winning now."
That opportunity will begin this Friday against the Fighting Scots of Wooster College. The Scots came into the NCAA Tournament ranked second in the nation, four spots ahead of Amherst. Wooster has been the winningest Div. III basketball team of the decade, in terms of both victories (180) and winning percentage (.865). They have the second-longest streak of consecutive weeks ranked in the top-25, with 75, trailing only Amherst at 77. They won the North Coast Athletic Conference, the same conference that produced the Wittenberg team that edged the Jeffs in the Final Four last season. The Scots beat SUNY-Brockport-the team that eliminated Williams in the first round-to advance to the Final Four. The Scots are led by the play of guard James Cooper, who averages just over 18 points a game. As a team, they average 88.9 points a game, good for sixth in the country.
The Jeffs however, feel prepared. They will counter the Scots' offensive attack with one of the best defenses in the nation, allowing only 59.8 points a game and holding opponents to 38 percent shooting from the field. Unlike last year against Wittenberg, Amherst will have a significant size advantage over the Scots, being at least two inches taller at every position except point guard. Should they win, Amherst will advance to the national championship game on Saturday, where they would play the winner of Washington University in St. Louis and defending champion Virginia Wesleyan College. "Wooster is a very talented and balanced team and in some ways they are similar to us. They rely on a lot of different guys for their production," said Baskauskas. "They don't have a huge front line like Wittenburg did; we may have the advantage down low this year."
Radio for both games will be broadcast at www.amherst.edu/~wamh. Video of the game will be webcast at http://all-access.cstv.com/cstv/player/player.html?code=ncaa. Tickets to the event are being sold at the Amherst College Athletics Office Tuesday and Wednesday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. They are $10 for College students and $20 for others. These prices cover all four games in Salem. Those looking for a ride or a place to stay should contact Bill at wnahill08@amherst.edu.