AMHERST, MA. – A second game-winner in two days, this time from
Kori Barach, gave the Amherst College women's basketball team their first overtime win of the season against NESCAC opponent Trinity, 68-66 in double-overtime, on Saturday afternoon.
With their second straight win, the Mammoths improved to 16-4 on the season, and 4-3 in the NESCAC. They will take the court on the road on Tuesday Jan. 30, against Colby-Sawyer College, with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m. The Bantams dropped to 13-6 this season.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
* Amherst took the lead for the first time in the contest with 1:41 to go in the first quarter after gathering a missed free throw and kicking it out to
Annie McCarthy, who drilled it from beyond the arc. However, the Bantams retook the lead with a buzzer-beating layup to go into the break with a one-point lead, 15-14.
* Amherst found their to stride during the second quarter. After a back and forth first nine minutes, they closed the half on an 8-0 run in the final 60 seconds. The run started with a three from
Laura Mendell as the shot clock wound down, before
Alix Stuart quickly converted at the rim in transition. A buzzer-beating pull-up three from
Brooke Ingemi capped off the run, and the half, with the Mammoths up 32-23.
* Though Mendell converted to give Amherst an 11-point lead early in the third, the Bantams battled back to within five. However, the sophomore finished an and-one opportunity to widen the gap once more, and the quarter ended with the Mammoths up 44-37 heading into the final frame.
* The Bantams again went on a scoring run, this time an 8-2 advantage to shrink the lead to one with 5:44 to go. Mendell came up big once again, hitting a three 10 seconds later to halt the run, but the Bantams converted at the line to tie the game just a minute later, and retook the lead shortly after.
* Going into the final seconds of play, the score was tied, 51-51. With 10 seconds left, the Mammoths mobilized. Mendell drove to the rim after coming off a screen and drawing a foul at the rim. She remained cool under pressure, hitting both free-throws with 2.4 seconds remaining to give Amherst a two-point lead. But, Trinity tied the game on their final possession, and the game went to overtime tied at 53-53.
* Down three with 30 seconds remaining, the Mammoths again came up clutch. This time it was Barach who drained the trey to tie the game at 58-58 with 13.4 seconds remaining. The Mammoths got the stop they needed on the next possession, and the game went to a second OT.
* The second OT proceeded similarly to the first. Though Amherst went down early, they battled back, with Barach hitting clutch threes on back-to-back possessions to get the Mammoths within one. After the Bantams went 1-2 at the free throw line, the Mammoths' leading scorer did it again, sinking a three with 13.6 seconds to go to give them the advantage.
* Amherst finally got the stop they needed on the next possession, and Mendell corralled the loose ball and was fouled, again sending her to the line for big free throws. She split the free throws, but it would not matter, and when the horn sounded, Amherst celebrated a 68-66 double-overtime win.
BY THE NUMBERS:
* Mendell paced Amherst offensively for the second time in two days, scoring 23 points and going 11-13 from the free throw line. She also lead the team in assists with five.
* Barach recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds against Trinity.
* Ingemi recorded career-highs in points, with 7, and rebounds, with 8 against the Bantams.
