“We came out yesterday knowing that we couldn’t let them hang around like they did in the second half of the last game. We knew we had to make a statement in regards to us being the best team in the northeast,” said center Sarah Leyman ’11 of the game.
The most recent meeting between the Jeffs and the Mules on Jan. 31 featured a tired-looking Amherst squad and a Colby team ready to take advantage of a slow Amherst start. The match came less than 24 hours after the Jeffs’ first loss of the season. Though Amherst was able to pull off the win, the Mules were in the game till the end, causing teams around the NESCAC to question Amherst’s strength. The Jeffs were determined to put those doubts to rest.
“In preparing for Saturday, we reflected on our first Colby game and realized that we didn’t show them our best basketball — not even close,” said tri-captain forward Yasmine Harik ’09. “So, this was our chance to set the record straight and also to kick off the post-season the right way with a fluid, prolific offense and a stifling effort on defense. We played a complete game and we never stopped hustling for 40 minutes. It was just a totally different energy. We dictated the pace of the game, we pushed them around, and we attacked them on offense and defense — we didn’t wait for them.”
From the first whistle, Amherst was in control, going on an 11-0 run to start the game. The domination continued, and the half ended with the Jeffs leading by 33 points. The second half featured more of the same, allowing every Amherst player to see some action and giving the starters a rest. Not only were the Jeffs highly efficient on offense, shooting 50 percent from the field, but they also played tenacious offense, transitioning well and contesting every Colby shot. The Amherst defense held the Mules to a meager 20 percent.
As usual, forward/center Jaci Daignealt ’11 was the leading scorer for Amherst with 22 points. She also added nine assists. Rookie guard Kim Fiorentino added 12 points of her own, shooting 4-6 from beyond the arc. Fellow first-year Caroline Stedman came off the bench to play 18 minutes and went 4-5 for a total of nine points. As a team, the Jeffs out-rebounded the Mules 40-21 and forced 22 Colby turnovers.
The Jeffs now turn their attention to Tufts, whom they beat by six points in the teams’ previous meeting. During that game, Amherst successfully shut down the Tufts post players and worked hard to contest all three-point shots. Amherst will work hard to continue these defensive efforts and will also need to begin the game by shooting well.
“We really need to minimize turnovers, which we have been doing pretty well lately we need to attack Tufts’ defense, and get them into foul trouble. We need to start hitting threes like we did in the first half against Colby,” notes Leyman.
Since Bowdoin grabbed the first seed in the conference, the Jeffs must travel to Maine to take on Tufts. Though Amherst might still gain an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament if they were to lose to Tufts, winning the NESCAC tournament ensures a spot in the national tournament and bragging rights in the conference.