The Amherst women’s basketball team captured their second consecutive Division III National Championship this past weekend after knocking off Thomas More College in Friday night’s semifinal and NESCAC foe Bowdoin on Saturday in the championship game. For the second straight year, the Mammoths finished with a perfect 33-0 record, extending the team’s winning streak to 66 games.
During the historic season, Amherst broke several records, including the program record for consecutive victories (previously 51), the NCAA record for consecutive road victories (previously 36) and the Division III record for scoring defense at 38.8 opponent points per game.
After squeaking by Montclair State College in the Sweet Sixteen 51-40 and blowing the University of Rochester Yellow Jackets out of the water 62-38 in the second round, the Mammoths advanced to their third straight Final Four in as many years.
In the semifinal matchup in Rochester, Minnesota, Amherst had the tough task of stopping Thomas More College. The Saints, entering the contest on a 29-game win streak, were the last team to beat Amherst, doing so in the 2015 Final Four.
In the first quarter, Amherst quickly fell behind 5-0. However, after a defensive stop, sophomore Madeline Eck made a layup to put the Mammoths on the scoreboard, and Emma McCarthy ’19E made a few key shots to lead the Mammoths on a 19-6 run to end the quarter.
Both offenses struggled to find the basket in the second quarter, but a ferocious defensive approach kept the Mammoths ahead at the half 29-20.
However, the Saints did not surrender as star guard Madison Temple made a three-point shot late in third quarter to trim the Amherst lead to one. In the final seconds of the third, though, Hannah Fox ’20 found fellow sophomore Cam Hendricks, who knocked down a clutch three-pointer at the buzzer to make the score 43-39.
The Mammoths never looked back, routing the Saints 23-9 in the final quarter to make the score 66-48 and secure their spot in the championship game. Overall, Amherst held the Saints to 32.7 percent shooting from the field while forcing 14 turnovers. McCarthy had a game high 19 points and nine rebounds, while Eck and senior Hannah Hackley also finished with double digit point totals.
In the championship, the Mammoths faced Bowdoin for the second time this year after besting their Maine rivals by just four points in conference play. The Polar Bears came into the game with the fifth highest scoring offense in the country and boasted an impressive 46 percent shooting percentage.
Amherst started the game slow and fell behind early, but McCarthy continued her dominant weekend, first finding the range midway through the first quarter. She scored all eight points for the Mammoths in the first quarter and was responsible for the 8-8 score at the end of the first frame.
In the second quarter, both teams traded baskets including two three-pointers from Hendricks and one from Fox. A pair of key blocks from Jackie Nagle ’18 limited Bowdoin guard and NESCAC Player of the Year Kate Kerrigan to four points at the half, giving the Mammoths a slight 26-23 lead at halftime.
The Polar Bears came out of the half firing, going on a 9-4 run and taking the lead from the Mammoths. However, Amherst’s dynamic duo of McCarthy and Hackley battled to regain the lead. A pair of McCarthy free throws with three minutes remaining in the third quarter put Amherst ahead, and the Mammoths never again relinquished control of the contest.
Leading 42-36 going into the fourth, Amherst kept Bowdoin from scoring until the final three minutes of the game. For the second consecutive contest, the Mammoths outscored their opponent 23-9 in the final quarter, making the final score 65-45.
McCarthy was named the NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four Most Valuable Player for her 19 point, nine rebound and 25 point, 12 rebound performances in the semifinal and championship games, respectively. With the win, McCarthy also finished her career at Amherst boating a remarkable 66-0 record, having never lost in Division III basketball. Alongside McCarthy, Fox was named to the All-Tournament team for her performances including a 12 point, seven rebound, three assist and two steal season finale.
Amherst will return the majority of its squad next season, although it will surely miss its senior core of Hackley, Nagle, and Jenna Schumacher.
The 2018 National Championship is the third for head coach G.P. Gromacki and the Amherst women’s basketball program, with the previous two titles coming in 2011 and 2017. Gromacki garnered the honorific of “Coach of the Year” from D3Hoops.com for his excellent management.
