AMHERST, Mass. -- C.J. Mitchell's determined dash to the basket resulted in the game-tying lay-up with 1.2 seconds remaining in regulation time Saturday, and the Amherst College men's basketball team controlled the overtime period, resulting in a thrilling 71-67 conference win over Hamilton at LeFrak Gym.

It was the fourth straight win for the Mammoths, who improved to 12-7 overall and 3-2 in NESCAC play to date. Hamilton fell to 9-8 overall and 3-2 in conference action. 

The Mammoths are at Wesleyan Friday for a 7 p.m. tip-off. 

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

* Amherst jumped out to a 6-0 lead early on. Will Scherer opened his night with a tip-in from the paint. Chris Hammond followed with a lay-up and Mohammed Alausa came up with steal that led to a Scherer dunk and the six-point lead. 

* Hamilton chipped away and took its first lead with under 10 remaining in the half, eventually going into the locker room at halftime up five, 32-27. The Continentals then proceeded to score the first eight points of the second stanza to build a 40-27 lead after the first five minutes. 

* Down 12, Bobby Sommers put some fire into the  Mammoths with a three-ball that made it a10-point game. However, Hamilton pushed its lead back to 14 on two occasions, the last coming with 10:33 to go in the game. 

* Hammond ignited the comeback with a key sequence in which he knocked down a trey, came up with a steal and drove the court for a lay-up that cut the Mammoths deficit from 14 to 9 in under 30 seconds. After a Marc Garraud defensive rebound, Noah Helmke sank a big three-pointer off a pass from Dan Schlakman. Schlakman followed with a steal, an offensive rebound and a putback that made the score 50-46 Hamilton.

* With 2:56 remaining in the clock, Hammond hit on another three attempt to make it a two-point game at 58-56. Down three, a Scherer lay-up cut the deficit to one at 59-58. Down 4 with under a minute remaining, Alausa came through with a critical three-pointer that made it 62-61 Continentals. It was 63-61 when Mitchell drove the lane with 6 seconds to go. Driving hard down the right side of the lane, Mitchell gently floated a right-handed lay-up over two Continental defenders to tie the game with 1.2 seconds left. 

* In the overtime a Hammond lay-up, a Scherer block, a Mitchell defensive rebound and a Somers lay-up put the Mammoths up 4 only 38 seconds into the extra five-minute session. 

* With 20 seconds remaining, an Alausa free throw gave Amherst a three-point lead. Hamilton set up Owen Kane for a game-tying three-pointer from the top of the key with three seconds to go, but Scherer blocked the shot and Somers grabbed the rebound off the block with a second left, hitting one ensuing foul shot to cement the 71-67 victory.



BY THE NUMBERS:

* Hammond led the Mammoths with 14 points, adding 4 rebounds. Scherer and Sommers each had a double-double in the win. Scherer finished with 11 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists. He added 3 blocks, 2 in the OT period. Sommers had 12 points, 10 rebounds and 3 steals. Mitchell netted 8 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists. Garraud had 6 points and 3 steals. 

* The Mammoths outrebounded Hamilton 50-34.

* Amherst shot 39.1 percent (27 of 69) from the floor, holding Hamilton to 36.1 percent.