Senior tri-captain and forward Anne-Claire Roesch knows how important the home court and the home crowd can be. “There’s nothing like playing at home in front of your own fans,” she said. “Especially during the post-season, everyone is on their A-game, and a home advantage is definitely a big help.”
The Jeffs entered Saturday’s game knowing that they needed to have the defensive intensity that they had exhibited in their past few games and that had led to so much of their success. “We knew we were the better team coming in, but we also knew we couldn’t rely on that alone to win,” said Roesch. “Coach Gromacki always stresses to us that the team with more talent that also outworks its opponent almost always wins, and we try to do that no matter who we’re up against.”
Though Amherst came out of the gates running hard, the Mules did as well. Just over five minutes into the game, however, the Jeffs led Colby 16-8, convincingly dominating all aspects of the game. Leading by as many as 15 points during the half, Amherst took a 10-point lead into the break.
The second half featured even more tenacious defense from Amherst, and the home team’s lead continued to expand, ultimately ending up as a 30-point Jeffs’ victory. “We always look to come out as hard as we can on defense, and I think we definitely did that from the get-go against Colby,” explained Roesch. “Even though we were only up 10 at the half, I think a lot of that was because Colby really came ready to play and hit some big shots down the stretch. In the second half we really locked down on defense and they had a really tough time scoring.”
Senior tri-captain and forward Stefanie Reiff put in an all-star performance, sinking bucket after bucket from the center of the key for a game-high 24 points on the afternoon. Fellow senior and tri-captain Shaina Pollack controlled the game at the point while chipping in 12 points of her own. Four other Jeffs had eight or more points, including first-year forward Jaclyn Daigneault, who added a team-high five rebounds to go with her eight points.
Rookie play was a big part of Saturday’s win. The strength of the freshman class allowed starters to get some rest. “One of the reasons why we’re so good this year is because of our depth,” noted Roesch. “Some teams in the NESCAC, like Wesleyan, are well-coached and have a talented starting[-five], but they often rely on those [five] for 80 to 90 percent of their point production. On any given day, at least 10 people on our team can make significant contributions.”