WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - Junior forward
Kathleen Smith of the Williams College women's basketball team finished with a team-high 19 points and game-leading seven rebounds during a 63-57 setback to Amherst Wednesday evening at Chandler Gymnasium.
The Ephs (9-8, 3-1 NESCAC) shot 89.5% from the free-throw line (17 of 19), while holding a 40-34 advantage in points in the paint and a 20-18 lead in bench points. First-year forward
Evelyn Walcott was fantastic in just over 28 minutes off the bench, tying a career-high 12 points, shooting 4 of 6 from the field and 4 for 5 from the foul line, to go along with six rebounds.
Elizabeth Cain scored a game-high 20 points for the Mammoths (13-4, 3-1 NESCAC), shooting 8 of 12 from the field and 4 for 4 from the charity stripe. Laura Mendell posted 12 points, six assists, five rebounds and two steals. Williams shot 43.5% from the field (20 of 46) and Amherst finished with a 45.3% shooting rate from the field (24 for 53).
Mendell recorded a steal and a layup, giving the Mammoths a 16-6 lead with 1:45 left in the opening quarter. Five straight points by Smith, including an old-fashioned, 3-point play, evened the score at 25-25 with 2:12 remaining in the first half.
An old-fashioned, 3-point play by Walcott with 3:17 on the scoreboard in the third quarter gave Williams the lead for the first in the game at 39-38. Back-to-back, 3-point shots by Chase Anderson and Reagan Pahl sent the visitors into the fourth with a 48-42 advantage. A jumper by Smith cut the deficit down to 59-55 with 31 seconds on the clock, but Mendell secured the victory with four made free throws in the final 28 seconds.
The Ephs will compete against Middlebury Saturday at 3 p.m. in Chandler Gymnasium.
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