The women’s basketball team began the 2007-08 season with a vengeance, winning each of its first three games handily and nearly tripling the number of points scored by each of its opponents. The massacre began on the first day of the inaugural Amherst Invitational Tournament, as the Jeffs defeated the City College of New York, 98-33. Using the momentum from that win, the team entered its next match with confidence and beat New York City College of Technology by a score of 105-34, winning the tournament in the process. The Jeffs then prepared for their next game of the season against Mt. Holyoke College. Though Amherst had lost its previous two matches to the Lyons, the Jeffs used a new coach and a deep bench to cruise to an 80-40 victory and improved their record to 3-0.
The Jeffs’ season opener looked as though it would be a close game, as City College of New York kept Amherst close through the first six minutes of the game. Though the Jeffs never trailed, their lead was at times paper-thin. Finally, led by tri-captain guard Shaina Pollack ’08, who had 11 points in the first half, the Jeffs began to pull away from CCNY and went into halftime leading 55-17. The second period showcased more of the same stellar play from Amherst, as both first-years and veterans got on the scoreboard. In the end, the Jeffs put 98 points on the board while their opponents managed only 33.
Joining Pollack in the double digits were juniors Yasmine Harik and Stacy Brossy and rookie Jaclyn Daigneault. Brossy also led Amherst in rebounds with six, while rookie Courtney Long recorded a team-high six assists on the night. The Amherst offense shined with an excellent field-goal percentage of 60.9, while the defense held CCNY to a meager 19.6 percent in the same category.
In the championship game of the tournament, against NYCCT, the Jeffs and their opponent appeared to be evenly matched in the first minutes of the contest. However, like the night before, the Jeffs were able to pull away from their foe and held a strong 21-point lead at the break, due to some exceptional plays by rookie center Sarah Leyman. The Jeffs immediately jumped on its opponents at the beginning of the second half and soon found themselves with a 48-point lead. From then on, the Jeffs continued to showcase their fine offensive skills while maintaining a mental focus on defense. By the final buzzer, Amherst had stretched the advantage to 105-34. Leyman led all scorers with 18 points, while juniors Kerry O’Loughlin and Amanda Oniento added 14 points and 10 points, respectively. Leyman and tri-captain senior Anne-Claire Roesch each grabbed eight rebounds, and Pollack added five assists.
Though the Jeffs were happy with their wins, they knew that they needed to retain their intensity and composure against the Mt. Holyoke Lyons. From the very get-go, the game looked to be a close one, as the two teams stayed neck-and-neck throughout most of the first half. However, Amherst went on a run with about six minutes left, exiting the court at half-time with a 13-point lead. After some scrappy play to open the second stanza, the Lyons looked defeated, and Amherst walked away with an impressive 80-40 win.
Tri-captain senior Stephanie Reiff showed her offensive tenacity, tallying 16 points on the game. Daigneault and Samantha Swensen ’10 added 11 points each. Swensen also set an example on defense, recording six rebounds.
“We played really well together and found the open man,” said Reiff. “We were also shooting well. In the weeks to come we’ll be playing teams with much quicker offenses so we’ll need to strengthen our defense.”
The Jeffs didn’t have to wait long to find stiffer competition. Tuesday night’s contest against Keene State College hardly resembled the early season blow outs. Nevertheless, Amherst held on for a 70-65 victory. The Jeffs opened the game strong, riding the 12 points and four assists that Pollack collected in the first half. Even with her strong play, however, the Jeffs held only a three point lead at the half. The second half was even closer; at one point, the Owls held a 38-37 lead, largely thanks to a full-court press that forced a number of Jeff turnovers.
In the end, the Jeffs were able to regain the lead off the strong play of Reiff. They converted on free throws down the stretch, surviving their first gut check and maintaining their perfect record.