Contact: Ben Badua

WESTFIELD, Mass. - Aaron Toomey '14 knocked down a career-high seven three-pointers as the sixth-ranked Amherst men's basketball team earned a 79-63 victory over Elms College at the Pioneer Valley Classic hosted by Westfield State University.

Hitting 7-of-10 attempts from behind the arc, Toomey finished with a season-high 32 points, just two points shy of tying his career best of 34 set in last season's NCAA Tournament game against NYU. Going 10-for-16 from the floor, the junior point guard also went 5-for-5 from the free throw line, while adding six rebounds and three assists. Setting a program-best .910 free throw percentage a year ago, Toomey has now hit all 23 of his attempts from the charity stripe this season.

Willy Workman '13 notched his third double-double of the year with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Tom Killian '14 was the only other Jeff in double figures with 10 points and six boards. Kenny Lockett '15 paced Elms with 12 points on 6-for-10 shooting, while Andre French '13 added 10 points.

Trailing by one after the first five minutes, the Jeffs rattled off eight unanswered points to build a 15-8 lead on a Killian jumper. Down six after a Ben Pollack '16 layup with just over 10 minutes remaining in the half, Elms pieced together a 6-2 run of its own, pulling within two on a Carson Miller '13 basket at the 5:51 mark.

Scoring six of the game's next eight points, Amherst went back up 29-23 on a Toomey three-point play, but neither team could wrestle control, trading baskets down the stretch as the Jeffs took a four-point edge into the intermission.

Knocking down a trey coming out of the break, Toomey gave Amherst a seven-point margin, but back-to-back Lockett and French buckets once again brought the Blazers within three. The Jeffs responded with an 18-6 run over the next 4:49. 

Ahead 44-39, Toomey drained another triple before a pair of Workman free throws gave Amherst its first double-digit lead. Toomey knocked down his fourth three-pointer of the night to extend the lead to 13 before Connor Green '16 capped off the run with a jumper that made it 54-39.

Hoping to keep pace, Elms strung together an 8-1 span, paring the deficit to eight on a French trey, but Toomey came right back down the floor, hitting another from beyond the arc. After a James Black '13 layup, Toomey hit his sixth from long distance before a Workman bucket down low made it a 14-point affair.

Up 63-52 with 5:54 remaining in regulation, Amherst netted 10 unanswered, getting five points from Toomey during the stretch, including another trey to carve out a 21-point cushion. Elms rallied to within 12 on a David McDaniel '13 three-pointer with 1:25 on the clock, but Amherst hit all four of its attempts from the charity stripe to close out the 79-63 victory.

Holding the Blazers to 30.4 percent (21-for-69) from the field, Amherst held a 48-40 advantage on the glass, and a 22-13 edge in second chance points.

The Jeffs resume Classic play on Saturday, Dec. 1 against Springfield College.