MEDFORD, Mass. -- A valiant comeback by the #15 Amherst College women's lacrosse team fell short Saturday as #7 Tufts held off the Mammoths charge for an 11-9 victory in a NESCAC quarterfinal match-up played on Bello Field.

Amherst fell to 9-6 on the season while Tufts improved to 13-3-0.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

* Down 3-0 after the first 15 minutes and 7-2 at halftime, the Amherst comeback began in earnest in the third quarter. 

* First-year Anna Whitworth got things started when, after a turnover by Tufts and a successful clear, she scored an unassisted goal just under four minutes into the fame to make it 7-3. Tufts got that one back to restore its five-goal advantage, but from there on out, the third quarter belonged to the Mammoths. 

* With 6:46 remaining, first-year Bridget Finley was awarded a free-position shot and converted to make it 8-4. Just under 90 seconds later, after Colleen Mooney had won a draw control for the Mammoths, senior Sydney Larsen also converted a free-position shot that made it 8-5. 

* Emily Petersen helped set up the next Amherst goal by winning a draw control and gaining possession of back-to-back groundballs, which led to another Finley tally that made it 8-6 with 3:34 left in the quarter. 

* The Mammoths closed to within one goal with 2:11 remaining when Petersen scored off an assist from Clara Sosa. 

* That would be as close as Amherst would come. After a scoreless first five minutes of the fourth and final quarter, Tufts would score back-to-back goals to take a 10-7 lead. Late goals by Finley and Petersen brought the Mammoths closer, but the clock ran out. 

BY THE NUMBERS:

* Amherst held a 27-24 edge in shots while Tufts held a 15-14 advantage in groundballs. Amherst turned the ball over 12 times, Tufts 10. Each team registered five caused turnovers.

* Finley led Amherst with four goals Petersen had two. 

* Brynn Korpi had two caused turnovers and two groundballs for the Mammoths.