AMHERST, MA. – A game-winning layup from Sylvia Liddle helped the Amherst College women's basketball team complete a fourth quarter comeback and sneak past Little Three rival Wesleyan, 49-46, Friday evening. 

The Mammoths improved to 15-4 on the season. They will return to the court in less than 24 hours looking to rebound in a NESCAC bout versus local rival Trinity set for tomorrow, Saturday Jan. 27, with tip-off scheduled for 3 p.m. at LeFrak Gymnasium. The Cardinals dropped to 10-7 this season. 

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
* The contest started slow: both teams only converted once from the field in the first five minutes of the contest. A three from Laura Mendell seemingly broke the Mammoths' cold streak, but multiple missed layups down the stretch hurt the Amherst's chances to take control of the game. However, neither team hit 10 points, and the Mammoths entered the break down two, 7-9.
* The Mammoths looked to seize the momentum to begin the second, with back-to-back threes from Anna Tranum and Liddle on their first two offensive possessions giving them a 13-9 lead. But the Cardinals wouldn't go away, going on a 9-0 run of their own to retake the advantage.  
* The pace of the game accelerated from there, with both teams turning the ball over at a high rate and finding transition buckets until the halftime horn. The Mammoths created 13 first-half turnovers, with Mendell notching five steals. The teams entered the break with the Mammoths facing down by six at 23-29.
* After halftime, the Mammoths started the frame with a 9-0 run to flip the script. A Liddle layup, a Maya Cwalina free throw, and a coast-to-coast steal-and-finish from Kori Barach got the Mammoths within one before Cwalina converted from the post to briefly create a 4-point cushion. But Wesleyan again proved resilient, clawing their way back in front with a 14-2 run in response, and Amherst stared down their largest deficit of the day, at 36-44, at the end of the third quarter.
* The final quarter was much of the same story. Amherst stormed back, with momentum-defining plays aplenty. A Mendell and-one tied the score. Liddle recorded a vicious block to maintain the deadlock, and then Tranum converted two free-throws for the lead.  
* The teams entered the final minute tied at 46-apiece. More stellar defense from Mendell forced a turnover. The Mammoths took the ball up the court and executed on some beautiful ball movement, with Cwalina posting up and finding a cutting Liddle for a reverse lay-in to take a two-point lead with 11.4 seconds remaining. The Mammoths got the stop they needed on the ensuing Cardinals' possession, Annie McCarthy hit a clutch free throw to ice the game, and the Mammoths left LeFrak with a 49-46 win.



BY THE NUMBERS:
 
* Mendell paced the Mammoths on both ends of the floor all night, with 17 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 steals against the Cardinals. Liddle finished with 8 points and 11 rebounds.
* Amherst outscored Wesleyan 13-3 in the pivotal final quarter to complete their comeback despite being outscored in every prior quarter.
* Forcing and taking advantage of turnovers was the key to the Mammoths victory. Amherst scored 21 of their 49 points off of 26 Wesleyan turnovers.