Box Score
Williamstown, MA- Williams suffers a loss for the second time this year to Amherst; the final score 66-55 in the final regular season game of the year. In a hard fought game Amherst is able to improve their record to 23-1 overall and 9-0 in the conference earning the number one seed heading into the NESCAC tournement. With the loss Williams falls to 20-4, 6-3 in league and will be the fourth seed.
Williams leading scorer was Jill Greenberg with 16 points and Taylor Shea secured her second double-double of the weekend with 14 points and 16 rebounds, eight of those coming on the offensive end. Amherst's Jaclyn Daigneault also had a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
After the game coach Manning was very positive saying "20-4 is a great regular season and I am very proud of my team." Then looking forward to the post season she added "This is where the fun begins."
Amherst was up by single digits for the start of the second half and neither team was able to make a big run, but then around the 8:30 mark Williams started to make a move. Williams was down 52-43 when Jill Greenberg took the ball coast to coast and made the layup. Then Claire Baecher hit a jumper to bring the lead within five, and Williams had the ball with an opportunity to make it a one possession game. Williams couldn't convert and Steadman took the ball coast to coast herself and pushed the lead back up to seven. Williams would never be that close again for the rest of the game.
"We would get close and then we couldn't convert on the easy shots that would have brought us within one possession. The shots just weren't falling" said Coach Manning post-game.
Amherst jumped out to an early 10-2 lead. Twice Jaci Daigneault was able to use a backdoor cut to get an open layup. Out of their first six points, four of them were of second chance points. Amherst quick start forced a Williams timeout with 16:28 left in the half.
After the timeout Williams was able to bounce back, their first six points coming from Claire Baecher who got them in a variety of ways, the first was a short jump shot in the lane, then she made one from the charity strike, and finished with a three form behind the arch. Then with 12:20 left in the half Williams called another timeout the scoreboard reading 19-10 Amherst.
Coach Manning complemented her teams resiliency throughout the game saying "Amherst would start to push the lead, but we were able to fight right back."
Both teams started to trade baskets, neither one able to gain the upper hand by making a run. During this stretch Williams did not take care of the ball and Amherst was able to get 11 points off turnovers in the first half. On one such play Daigneault stole the ball and took it herself for a layup at the other end. With the score 31-19 in Amherst favor Williams called a timeout with 3:42 remaining in the half.
Williams went on a 10-2 run to finish the first half. Jennie Harding and Jill Greenberg hit threes on back to back possessions, injecting energy into the Williams bench. Amherst entered the half with a 33-29 lead, but Williams had the momentum.
Threes from Caroline Steadman and Kim Fiorentino, to start the half, took the wind out of Williams' sails and lead to a 7-3 run. Coach Manning called timeout only 2:30 minutes into the second half in an attempt to get her team back on track. The strategy worked and Williams responded with a run of their own coming from a nice spin move on the post by Taylor Shea and a runner by Baecher across the lane. The score was 37-43 Amherst with 15:19 left in the game.
Late in the game Williams did try and make another run down 11 when Greenberg hit a three from the corner and then Chessie Jackson had a long jumper but Jackie Renner answer with a nice up-fake and drive to seal the game for Amherst, the score 62-53 with one minute left in the game.
Williams had a poor shooting night shooting only 32.8% (21-64) from the field, while Amherst shot 42.4% (25-59). Williams did out rebound Amherst 42-38, but what seemed to hurt Williams throughout the game was Amherst 17 points off turnovers while Williams only had 2.
NESCAC Women's Basketball Final Standings
No. 1 Amherst (9-0)
No. 2 Colby (7-2)
No. 3 Bowdoin (6-3) *
No. 4 Williams (6-3) *
No. 5 Tufts (5-4) ^
No. 6 Bates (5-4) ^
No. 7 Middlebury (3-6) &
No. 8 Trinity (3-6) &
No. 9 Connecticut College (1-8)
No. 10 Wesleyan (0-9)
Tie-Breakers
The following tie-breakers have been applied:
* - Bowdoin and Williams finished with identical 6-3 records. Head-to-head, Bowdoin defeated Williams; therefore, Bowdoin is No. 3, Williams is No. 4
^ - Tufts and Bates finished with identical 5-4 records. Head-to-head, Tufts defeated Bates; therefore, Tufts is No. 5, Bates is No. 6
& - Middlebury and Trinity finished with identical 3-6 records. Head-to-head, Middlebury defeated Trinity; therefore, Middlebury is No. 7, Trinity is No. 8
2011 Women's Basketball Championship Seeding
Quarterfinals – Saturday, February 19 at higher seeds
No. 8 Trinity at No. 1 Amherst – 4:00 p.m.
No. 7 Middlebury at No. 2 Colby – 3:00 p.m.
No. 6 Bates at No. 3 Bowdoin – 3:00 p.m.
No. 5 Tufts at No. 4 Williams – 4:00 p.m.
Semifinals – Saturday, February 26 at highest remaining seed (2:00 p.m./4:00 p.m.)
Highest remaining seed vs. Lowest remaining seed
Remaining quarterfinal winners
Championship – Sunday, February 27 at 12:00 p.m.
Semifinal winners
