December 6, 2002 

AMHERST, MA - 12th ranked Amherst College ran its unblemished record to 5-0 on Friday evening with a 77-56 win over visiting Springfield College in the opening round of the Second-Annual Pioneer Valley Men's Basketball Classic, hosted by Amherst. Sophomore sharpshooter Adam Harper (Washington, DC) led the way with 20 points on 7-for-12 shooting, while senior tri-captain center Pat Fitzsimons (Durham, NC) added 15 points and game-highs of 12 rebounds and five blocks. 

First-year forward Derek Yvon (E. Longmeadow, MA) paced Springfield, which fell to 1-3 with the loss, with a game-high 22 points. 

In Friday's other tournament matchup, Western New England College (WNEC) improved to 2-1 with an 89-81 win over Westfield State (2-3) behind a 21-point, seven-rebound showing by senior co-captain Kris Hebert (Chicopee, MA). Fellow rookie Jim Bayne (Bristol, CT) and sophomore forward Anthony Charbatji (Attleboro, MA) joined Hebert in double figures with 15 and 12 points, respectively. 

Westfield State's Bryant James (Holyoke, MA) and Leonard Miller (Norwich, CT) each poured in 20 points in defeat. 

Tournament play concludes on Saturday with WNEC battling Springfield at 2 p.m., followed by a 4 p.m. matchup between host Amherst and Westfield State. 

Amherst vs. Springfield Box Score & Play-by-Play