Jeffs Notch First Conference Win, 51-39, Over Wesleyan

February 8, 2002

Junior quad-captain forward Sarah Walker poured in a game-high 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting

AMHERST, MA - Junior quad-captain forward Sarah Walker (W. Hartford, CT) poured in a game-high 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting and the Amherst defense held visiting Wesleyan University to just 19.0% (7-for-33) from the floor as the Jeffs handed the visiting Cardinals a 51-39 loss in NESCAC women's basketball action on Friday night. The win was Amherst's first in conference play, improving to 1-5 in the NESCAC while evening their overall record at 10-10. Wesleyan fell to 13-8 overall and 1-5 in conference play with the loss.

After trailing for most of the game's first eight minutes, Amherst took the lead for good with a tide-turning 12-0 run midway through the first half. Sophomore forward Marissa McGuire (Minneapolis, MN), senior quad-captain Hallison Putnam (Lexington, KY) and sophomore sharpshooter Shannon Russell (Shrewsbury, MA) capped the barrage with a trio of long-range three-pointers on consecutive possessions, and the Jeffs extended their bulge to as many as 12 points in the first half, taking a 30-18 lead on a Walker layup with 1:23 left before the break.

Wesleyan tried to close the gap from the three-point line but shot a paltry 0-for-8 from behind the arc in the second half. The Cardinals finished with just seven field goals on the evening, two of which were three-pointers, while catching the short end of a 44-38 rebounding margin.

Sophomore forward Sarah Bergman (Shaftsbury, VT) joined Walker in double figures with 10 points to go along with a team-high 10 boards for Amherst. Junior guard Shaleen Bowman (Guilford, CT) paced Wesleyan with nine points on 3-for-21 shooting, while teammate Allyson Miller (Shrewsbury, MA) finished with six points and 10 rebounds.

With the win, Amherst avenged a 51-40 loss at Wesleyan on January 15 and climbed into a three-way tie for seventh place in the NESCAC with the Cardinals and Tufts University, all with matching 1-5 conference marks. The Jeffs host cellar-dwelling league rival Connecticut College Saturday at 3 p.m. The Camels are 1-16 overall and 0-6 in NESCAC play after Friday night's 98-43 loss to Trinity College.

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