AMHERST, Mass. -- Amherst College junior Reeya Patel scored 16 of her team-high 17 points in the first half -- including a buzzer-beating three-pointer -- to help the #9 ranked Mammoths' women's basketball team open its season with a 54-50 win over #16 Springfield College in front of a spirited crowd in LeFrak Gymnasium. 

Amherst is 1-0. The Mammoths host Rowan University as part of the Amherst Tip-Off Tournament Sunday at 1 p.m.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

* The Mammoths raced out to an early 14-4 lead. Sophomore guard AnLing Vera opened the game with a couple of driving lay-ups to the basket. First year Anna Tranum's defensive rebound led to a Maya Cwalina jumper from the paint, and Tranum hit a jumper of her own with 6:16 to go in the quarter for an 8-2 lead. Kori Barach's 14-footer made it 12-4 before Patel's lay-up in transition gave the Mammoths that 10-point lead. They held that lead after the first 10 minutes at 20-10. 

* Patel's lay-up with 5:52 to go gave Amherst its largest lead of the half at 26-14. The Pride began to turn the tide, however, climbing back into the game based on a 7-4 edge in the glass over the second quarter and holding Amherst to 35 percent shooting. Ultimately though, Amherst led by nine at the break 32-23 on the back of its defensive that created eight Pride turnovers. Amherst committed only two in the half. Patel's long-range three from outside of the top of the key as the buzzer sounded to end the half account for the lead. 

* However the Mammoths would miss their first five shots of the third quarter and Springfield took advantage, scoring six straight points to cut the deficit to only three when Sam Hourihan drove for a lay-up with 6:34 to go. Amherst first year Sylvia Liddle would then make her presence felt as she stopped the Pride run with a three-pointer. With 4:15 left in the stanza, she drained another trey that made it 39-29 Amherst. The Mammoths would hit 4 of their final 8 shots of the quarter, including three three-pointers, and led 43-33. Abbey Skinner had a big quarter for Amherst, scoring five of her seven points. 

* The Pride scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to close back within three at 43-40. Vera scored for the first time since the first quarter, hitting a clutch three with 6:54 to go that made it 46-40. Barach then hit her only trey of the game for a 49-42 lead with 5:48 to go. The Pride was relentless in their pursuit, cutting the deficit to three twice more. The Mammoths' final field goal came with 2:40 remaining when Tranum knocked down a clutch trey. Vera and Patel both hit a free throw to help close out the four-point victory following key rebounds by Barach. 



BY THE NUMBERS:

* Amherst shot 36.2 percent from the floor (21 of 58) and 36 percent from the three (9 of 25). Springfield shot 34.9 percent (22 of 63) but connected on only 2 of 15 three-point attempts. 

* The battle on the glass was real, with the Pride holding a 42-41 edge by the end of the contest. Neither team could help itself from the line, as the Pride shot 33.3 percent and the Mammoths 30 percent. 

* Patel finished with a double-double for Amherst with 17 points and 13 rebounds, throwing in 3 assists and a steal to boot. Vera just missed a double-double, scoring 10 points and adding 9 assists. Tranum had 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals. Skinner notched 7 points and 2 rebounds. Barach had 5 points and 7 rebounds. 

* Hourihan led the Pride with 13 points and 10 rebounds.