WOMEN'S BASKETBALL FALLS TO NO. 4 AMHERST, 59-48

AMHERST, Mass. – The fourth-ranked Amherst College women's basketball team prevailed over Emmanuel College Tuesday night as it claimed a 59-48 victory on LeFrak Gymnasium. Amherst improves to 4-0 with the win while the loss drops the Saints to 4-3 on the year with all three losses coming to nationally ranked opponents.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Emmanuel opened the game on a 6-0 run, but Amherst outscored the Saints 12-2 the remainder of the first quarter and eventually held a 33-21 edge at halftime.
• The Saints outscored Amherst 20-17 in the third quarter, but it wasn't enough as the Purple & White held on for the 11-point victory.
• Both teams recorded similar shooting numbers as Amherst finished 36.7% (22-60) from the floor and Emmanuel went 36.8% (21-57). The Purple & White were also 27.3% (6-22) from three-point range, while the Saints took just four attempts from deep and made one.
• Amherst was led by Marley Giddins  who finished with 12 points and six rebounds, and Meredith Doswell  who was one-point shy of a double-double with nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Doswell also finished with five steals, three assists and two blocks, while her sister Ali Doswell scored nine points, recorded eight rebounds, dished out four assists and tallied one steal.
• Three players scored in double-figures for Emmanuel as Jen Chalk led all scorers with 16. Lena Negria added 14 points and eight rebounds, and Sara Higgins dropped 10 points while pulling in nine boards, dishing out three assists and recording four steals.

FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS

• Emmanuel came out strong and jumped out to a 6-0 lead within the first 3:12 of play.
• A three-point play by Jackie Nagle seconds later jumpstarted an Amherst run as the home team scored 12 of the next 14 points to claim a four-point lead after one.
• The Purple & White went ahead by nine early in the second quarter following a lay-up by Meghan Sullivan at the 7:17 mark.
• In the closing minutes of the first half, Chalk cut the deficit to four with a jumper, but Amherst scored the next eight points to take a 33-21 lead at the break.

SECOND HALF HIGHLIGHTS

• The third quarter featured a lot of back-and-forth play despite Amherst claiming a 15-point lead early after a lay-up by Giddins. 
• Emmanuel didn't back down and got within single digits at the 4:14 mark off another jumper by Chalk.
• Shortly after, a basket by Negri cut the deficit to seven before Ali Doswell answered with a crucial three-pointer.
• Amherst's double-digit lead was short-lived, however, as Alisha Fox hit Emmanuel's only basket from downtown in the closing seconds to get within nine with just 10 minutes remaining in regulation.
• In the fourth quarter, Amherst claimed a decisive 17-point advantage after a nine-point run that was capped off by a steal and fast break lay-up from Meredith Doswell.
• Amherst's final run proved to be the difference as the deficit became too large for Emmanuel to overcome, despite scoring the final six points of the game.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• With the win, Amherst's consecutive home winning streak has reached 114 games.

UP NEXT

• Amherst returns to action Thursday, Dec. 3 for its first road game of the 2015-16 season as it plays 23rd-ranked Eastern Connecticut State at 7 p.m.
• Emmanuel heads back on the road for its next game and will play at Salem State this Thursday with a 7 p.m. tip-off.

*Release content provided courtesy of Amherst College Sports Information Dept.