HARTFORD, Conn. – The Trinity College Women's Basketball team outlasted visiting Amherst College, 70-56, in a New England Small College Athletic Conference tilt at Oosting Gymnasium Friday night. The Bantams improve to 13-4 on the season and 2-1 in NESCAC play, while the Mammoths slide to 1-1 in conference and 11-3 overall.
 
Three Bantams registered double digits in points, led by sophomore Olivia Vick with a game-high 17 points with a game-high four assists and three rebounds. Junior Melissa Whitmore netted 12 points, knocking down a game-high four three-pointers, with three rebounds and two assists, while classmate Samantha Slofkiss chipped in 11 points, six rebounds and two steals off the bench. Sophomore Madison Forman pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds with four points and three assists.
 
Senior Maya Cwalina paced the Mammoths with a team-high 14 points with six rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Junior Laura Mendell tallied 13 points with a team-high eight rebounds, and senior Kori Barach had seven points, five rebounds and two assists.
 
After an opening bucket from Cwalina, sophomore Avery Marzo and Vick knocked down back-to-back buckets to give the Bantams a lead they held until the final buzzer. Four more scorers chipped in as Trinity rattled off a 9-2 run to build a 13-4 advantage. The Mammoths settled in with an 8-2 run to trim the deficit to 15-12 heading into the second quarter.
 
Vick helped the Bantams hold a 28-21 edge at the 4:34 mark in the second quarter with a seven-point spurt. Amherst evened the score at 30-30 with 2:31 on the clock behind four points from Cwalina, but the Bantams regained control with triples from Vick and junior Lucy Dorion to take a 38-32 lead at the half.
 
The Trinity defense smothered the Mammoths in the third quarter, holding Amherst to two points over the opening six minutes as Trinity expanded the lead to 49-34. Whitmore drilled a late three-pointer to maintain a 52-43 lead entering the fourth quarter.
 
Amherst sophomore Reagan Pahl tallied five quick points to close the gap to 54-48, but the Bantams put the game away with a 12-2 run, powered by four points from Slofkiss and three-pointers from Whitmore and Dorion. Vick and senior Hannah Marzo converted free throws down the stretch to secure the 70-56 victory.

"Definitely one of our best performances, start-to-finish, of the season," said Trinity Head Coach Maria Williamson. "We executed our game plan really well, and that's been a big focus for us, so to do against a really good team is awesome. We talked about leaning in instead of leaning back, and showing our maturity in decision-making and shot selection, and that showed for us. This was a huge growth game for us. Hamilton is tough and physical, and they are riding the momentum of having a great year. Our biggest challenge will be guarding the post and we can't have a hangover from this. We have to keep going and have to keep growing."
 
The Bantams outrebounded the Mammoths, 40-36, while Amherst had the edge in the paint, 24-20. Both benches contributed 24 points apiece. Trinity connected on 22-of-64 (34.4%) from the floor, including 10-of-23 (43.5%) from three-point, and 16-of-18 (88.9%) from the foul line. The Mammoths shot 20-of-59 (33.9%) from the field, 3-of-15 (20%) from three-point, and 13-of-18 (72.2%) from the charity stripe.
 
The Bantams will return to the hardwood when they host Hamilton College Saturday at 3:00 p.m.
 
TRINITY ATHLETICS