ORANGE, CA. -- Junior Reeya Patel continued her scoring hot streak with 25 points Saturday, leading the #6 Amherst College women's basketball team to a 53-42 victory over Whittier College, in a game played at Chapman University. 

The Mammoths improved to 9-1 overall with the win. They will play Chapman tomorrow, Jan. 1, at 5 p.m. EST back at the Hutton Sports Center. The Poets fell to 3-8 on the season. 

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

* The Poets led 23-21 in the second quarter before Amherst fashioned a 15-0 run to take a commanding 36-23 lead by the halftime break. 

* AnLing Vera regained the lead for the Mammoths by nailing a three-pointer with 6:55 before the half for a 24-23 edge. Kori Barach then came up with back-to-back steals, the second of which led to her own fastbreak lay-up and a three-point lead. Following a defensive stop, Patel grabbed a rebound off a Barach missed a three-point attempt and laid it in the basket for a five-point advantage. 

* The run continued as Barach came up with another steal that led to Patel going to the foul line and sinking a pair of freebies for a 30-23 lead. Patel then grabbed a defensive board for another Mammoth stop. Barach fed Sylvia Liddle, and the first year drained a trey attempt for a 10-point lead. With 2:04 left in the half, Barach fed Vera, who knocked down another three-ball for a 36-23 advantage. Neither team was able to score over the final two minutes. 

* The Mammoths quickly upped their lead to 17 in the first two minutes of the third quarter as Maya Cwalina drained a short bunny and Patel converted a lay-up down the lane off an assist from Barach. The Poets could not get any closer than 9 points the rest of the way. 

BY THE NUMBERS:

* Amherst shot an amazing 54.2 percent (19 of 35) from the floor over the first three quarters. 

* Patel notched a team-high 7 rebounds in addition to her game-high 25 points. 

* Vera, Barach, Liddle, and Anna Tranum each scored six points in the win. Barach had a team-high five steals. Vera added a team-high six assists.