AMHERST, Mass. – Jumbos sophomore guard Sofia Gonzalez scored the game-winning basket with 5.3 seconds to go to lift Tufts University to a 56-54 win over the Amherst College women's basketball team in NESCAC action on Friday night at LeFrak Gymnasium.

The Jumbos, ranked 25th in the nation in the latest WBCA Division III poll, are off to a 2-0 start in NESCAC play, while the Mammoths, ranked 21st in the D3hoops.com poll and 16th in the WBCA poll, fell to 1-2 in the conference. Both teams' overall records now stand at 11-4 after this clash between conference rivals who met in both the NESCAC and NCAA tournaments last season.

The Mammoths return to the court in LeFrak Gymnasium tomorrow (Saturday, Jan. 14) at 3 p.m., hosting Bates College for a rematch of last season's NESCAC championship game.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

* The two sides traded baskets early before the Jumbos scored eight straight points to take a 12-4 lead on a three-pointer from Gonzalez.

* Sophomore guard AnLing Vera brought the Mammoths back into the game, scoring all of Amherst's points in a 13-5 run that tied the game at 17-17 at the end of the first quarter.

* With the score tied at 30-30 late in the second quarter, sophomore forward Alix Stewart hit a jumper to give the Mammoths the lead and classmate Maya Cwalina made a layup in the closing second to give Amherst a 34-30 halftime lead.

* The Mammoths held on to the lead throughout the third quarter, taking their largest lead of the game when sophomore guard Reeya Patel hit a pair of free throws to give Amherst a 40-34 edge.

* Tufts cut the lead to two by the end of the third and opened the fourth quarter with a Gonzalez jumper to tie the game. Junior forward Maggie Russell made a layup to give the Jumbos the lead but Vera answered with a three-pointer to put the Mammoths up by one.

* With the score tied at 51-51 as the clock ticked under two minutes, Vera hit her sixth three-pointer of the game to give the Mammoths a 54-51 lead. Russell responded with a layup and first-year forward Sarah Crossett hit one of two free throws to level the score at 54-54 with a minute to play.

* The Tufts defense kept the Mammoths from getting a shot off on the next trip up the floor and Gonzalez gave the Jumbos the lead on a layup with 5.3 seconds to go.

BY THE NUMBERS:

* Vera led all scorers with a season-high 25 points, shooting 6-of-10 from beyond the arc.

* Sophomore guard Kori Barach tallied her sixth double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

* Patel scored in double figures for the third straight game with 12 points and 9 rebounds.

* Gonzalez led the Jumbos with 22 points while Russell posted a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

* The Jumbos had the advantage in field-goal shooting at 37 percent (23-of-62) while the Mammoths shot 33 percent (19-of-58), though Amherst had the edge from beyond the arc, shooting 38 percent (9-of-24) from downtown while Tufts was 33 percent (6-of-18).