AMHERST ― The Amherst College women’s basketball team advanced to its 12th straight NCAA Division III Tournament Sweet 16 with a 58-46 victory over Geneseo, Saturday night at LeFrak Gymnasium.
Amherst (25-3), the two-time defending national champions, was led by junior guards Madeline Eck, who had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Hannah Fox, who had 18 points and nine rebounds.
Amherst will face St. Thomas (28-1) in Saint Paul, Minnesota, next Friday night
”Geneseo are a well-balanced team,” Amherst College coach G.P. Gromacki said. “They’re well coached, really physical, and it took everything we had and every ounce of energy to come out of here with a win.”
Amherst led 30-23 at halftime after a first half where both teams held each other to minimal offense. The play of Fox late in the second quarter sparked an Amherst run that saw her finish the half with 10 points and the team with a seven-point lead.
“It was nip and tuck,” Gromacki said. “Our shots weren’t falling. They were playing really good defense and then we just had a couple of breakout plays that kind of just extended the lead, making a cushion.”
The Mammoths started the third quarter on an offensive charge that saw Fox and Eck trade baskets. The Mammoths held a 45-36 lead entering the fourth. Fox and Eck then sealed the game for the Mammoths, pushing the lead to a comfortable margin.
“We both have the same goal in mind and that’s to every year win a national championship and keep this streak that we have now alive,” Eck said. “Our biggest goal is to get this team to reach that goal and we’re willing to do anything possible. If they need us to both drop 18 points, then we’re willing to do that for them.”
The Mammoths shot 43 percent from the field and held Geneseo to just 27 percent. They forced 14 turnovers.
The Knights were led by senior McKenna Brooks, who scored 12 points (10 of 15 from the free-throw line) and had 13 rebounds. Brooks altered shots at the basket and anchored a Geneseo defense that refused to allow Amherst to pull away.
“We made it difficult on her,” Gromacki said. “She kept going to the foul line and only missing a couple at the end and it was just like ‘gosh, she never misses’ and that shows you what kind of player she is, she’ll find a way to score anyway.”