After four days of rest, the Amherst men’s basketball team was back in action this past Saturday, Dec. 2, when the Mammoths made the trip to Boston to take on Emerson College in an out of conference match-up.

Amherst continued to exhibit its team-wide excellence, coming out strong from the first whistle. Thanks to a great offensive effort, led by first-year point guard Grant Robinson, the Mammoths toppled the Lions 78-65, ending a three-game win streak for the host team. Robinson, who has been a consistent force on the court, continued to show his offensive acumen in his fourth collegiate contest.

Senior co-captain Michael Riopel followed close behind Robinson’s team-high 18 points with 15 of his own. Eric Sellew ’20 finished out the game with a double-double of 14 points and 15 rebounds, while Johnny McCarthy ’18 was the fourth of five starters to score in the double digits, tallying 10 points. McCarthy also played impressively on the defensive end, coming away with three steals. First-year Fru Che reached double-digits off the bench, closing with 10 points.

Amherst’s suffocating defense kept the Lions at bay, allowing them to come within single digits of the Mammoths’ lead only once late in the second half.

When asked about how he feels about the first couple weeks of the season and what he thinks the future holds for this young Amherst team, Riopel was excited.

“It is a different feel on the court this year, both in practice and in games,” Riopel said. “You can tell how much everyone wants to succeed. John and I are thrilled to be able to co-captain a team that possesses so much enthusiasm.”

Thanks to their perfect start to the season following the win over Emerson, the Mammoths moved from being unranked to No. 21 in the D3hoops.com national rankings.

Amherst’s strength and endurance will be tested in the upcoming week, as the team will take the court three times over the next six days.

On Tuesday, Dec. 5 Amherst returend to Lefrak Gymnasium to host Anna Maria College in another non-conference contest. The purple and white dominated the game from the start, eventually recording a resounding 78-41 victory. Sellew led the team with 15 points.

The Mammoths will be back on the road later this week, when they travel to Wellesley, Mass. to face the defending national champion Babson on Thursday, Dec. 7.