AMHERST, Mass. – Senior captains Garrett Day and Grant Robinson each scored 24 points in their final regular-season game at LeFrak Gymnasium to lead the Amherst College men's basketball team to a 68-56 win over Bowdoin College in NESCAC action on Sunday afternoon.

The Mammoths improved to 15-6 overall and 5-3 in NESCAC play with their fifth straight win, while the Polar Bears fell to 11-11 overall and 2-7 in NESCAC play.

The Mammoths are back in action on Friday (Feb. 11), visiting Trinity for a 7 p.m. conference clash.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

* The two teams traded baskets for the first five minutes of the game until James McGowan scored five straight points for Bowdoin to give the Polar Bears an 11-8 lead. Day quickly tied the game back up with a three and after Jack Shea scored for the Polar Bears, the Mammoths went on a 15-0 run with five points from Day followed by 10 straight points from Robinson. The Mammoths held the lead for the rest of the game.

* The Polar Bears chipped away and trimmed the Amherst lead to 34-31 at halftime and got back within two on a McGowan three about five minutes into the second half, but two more threes by Day helped get the Mammoths lead back to eight just two minutes later.

* The Mammoths held the Polar Bears at arm's length from there and hit 6-of-6 free throws in the final minute to secure the win.



BY THE NUMBERS

* Day and Robinson were Amherst's top rebounders as well as Robinson grabbed nine boards and Day tallied a season-best eight rebounds. The two captains combined to go 9-of-9 from the free throw line. Robinson leads the NESCAC with a 90.6 free throw percentage this season and Day is second at 88.9 percent.

* The Mammoths shot 40 percent (23-of-57) from the field while holding the Polar Bears to 33 percent (22-of-67). The Mammoths are holding opponents to 36.3 percent field goal shooting on the season and entered today third in the nation in that category.

* First-year forward Ryker Vance blocked three shots, his fifth straight game with at least one block.