#2 Amherst Breezes Past Basketball, 71-24

Game Statistics???

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (Nov. 24, 2009) – The Amherst College women’s basketball team, ranked second in the latest USA Today/ESPN Division III Coaches' Poll, breezed to a 71-24 victory over Mount Holyoke College this evening at the Mildred S. Howard Gymnasium. With their third straight win over the Lyons, the Lord Jeffs improved to a perfect 3-0 on the year. Mount Holyoke fell to 2-2.

Ten players scored points for Amherst, which converted 45.3% (29-64) of its shots from the field and 40.0% (8-20) of its tries from beyond the arc. The Lord Jeffs finished with a 49-29 edge on the glass and 17 assists. Leading the way was junior forward Jaci Daigneault, who tallied a game best 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor. Sophomore center Lem Atanga McCormick and junior guard Kristyn Dunleavy came off the bench to record 13 and ten points, respectively.

Mount Holyoke's 24 points were its fewest in program history. The Lyons made just six of their 44 shots from the field (13.6%) and went 2-of-16 from three point range (12.5%). They were forced into 22 turnovers. Sophomore guard Christine Chancy posted a team high seven points off the bench. Meanwhile classmate Tricia Chase registered three points and a game high six rebounds.

Amherst jumped out to a 12-0 edge just over four minutes into the contest and led 44-8 at the break. The Lord Jeffs continued to pour it on in the second half, leading by as many as 47 points (70-23) in the waning seconds.

Mount Holyoke (2-2, 0-0 NEWMAC) will kick off its 2009-10 New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference slate on Wednesday, December 2, when it travels to Springfield College at 7:00 p.m. Amherst (3-0, 0-0 NESCAC) is scheduled to host non-conference foe Keene State College on Tuesday, December 1 at 7:00 p.m.