The Jeffs came out hard against Keene State and jumped out to a seven-point lead. However, the Owls were able to keep it close, and Amherst led by only three points at the break. The second half opened with intense play from both sides, as the two teams traded baskets for the first 10 minutes of the half. Every time Amherst started to pull away the Owls went on a run to keep it close. Finally with less than five minutes left, the Jeffs extended their lead to nine points and finished the game strong, winning 70-65.
The Jeffs used their newfound defensive prowess to overpower their opponents. “Any team that plays us knows they’re going to have to handle our defensive pressure,” said senior tri-captain Anne-Claire Roesch. “Even though we’ve been doing a great job of scoring, we’ve made stops when we’ve needed to and that’s translated into a lot of success on offense.”
Tri-captain point guard Shaina Pollack ’08 led all scorers with 18 points, making four of her six three-point attempts. Running the offense, she also dished out eight assists. Samantha Swensen ’10, named the NESCAC Player of the Week, added 14 points of her own and showed her versatility, as she grabbed eight rebounds, blocked two shots and recorded two assists. First-years Courtney Long and Jaclyn Daigneault rounded out the offense, scoring 12 and nine points, respectively.
On the first day of the Pioneer Valley Classic, both Amherst and Westfield State started out a little sluggishly. The Jeffs soon gained their focus and ended the first half with a 27-9 run. Swensen led the Amherst offense in the first half, despite limited time on the court. The second half was no contest, as Westfield State crumpled under the tenacious Jeff defense, and the game ended in a 77-40 Amherst victory.
Swensen totaled 22 points on 10 of 13 shooting—all while grabbing seven rebounds. Junior Stacy Brossy also proved to be a strong offensive force, scoring 15 points. The team finished the game with an impressive field-goal percentage of 54.1 and out-rebounded the Owls, 48-23.
The championship game of the tournament was another test for the Jeffs, as they faced a strong Springfield College team. Amherst solidified its reputation as a team that starts every game strong, as they quickly took a six-point lead. Though the Pride responded with a run of their own, Amherst was ahead seven points at halftime. But, while Amherst held a convincing lead through most of the second half, Springfield got within five points with only two minutes left. The Jeffs kept their composure, though, and closed out the game with gusto, winning 80-70.
Rookie Sarah Leyman sparked the Jeff offense, notching 16 points; six other Jeffs broke double digits. Pollack showed her passing ability, tallying nine assists, while Leyman grabbed 11 rebounds. Swensen was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament and was joined by Daigneault on the all-tournament team.
“We’ve known since the beginning of the season that our team was capable of a lot this season,” asserted Roesch. “But we finally got the chance to prove it by beating a few good teams last week and improving to 6-0.”
The Jeffs’ first-years have wasted little time getting acclimated to the college game. Leyman is averaging 10 points per game, while classmate Daigneault averages 9.2 points per game and has totaled 11 steals on the season. The Jeffs next take the court tonight at Clark College, and as always expect significant contributions from rookies and veterans alike.