AMHERST, Mass. – Senior captain
Garrett Day scored his 1,000th career point in his 100th career game as part of a game-high 27-point performance to lead the Amherst College men's basketball team to a 74-60 win over Colby College in NESCAC action on Saturday afternoon at LeFrak Gymnasium.
The Mammoths improved to 14-6 overall and 4-3 in NESCAC play with their fourth straight win, moving into fifth place in the NESCAC standings, a position that would earn Amherst a first-round bye in the NESCAC Tournament. The Mules fell to 11-10 overall and 3-5 in conference play.
Before the game, the Mammoths honored their four seniors: Day,
Devonn Allen,
Tim McCarthy and
Grant Robinson, a group that won the NESCAC Championship in 2019.
The Mammoths are back in action tomorrow (Sunday, Feb. 6), hosting Bowdoin at noon.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
* Day set the tone early, hitting back-to-back three-pointers to stake the Mammoths to an early 6-0 lead and Amherst never trailed in the game.
* Another set of back-to-back threes from Day pushed the lead to double figures for the first time at 18-7 with 12 minutes left in the first half.
* The Mammoths slowly added to their lead for the rest of the first half, taking a 38-23 lead when Robinson converted a layup off a steal with four-and-a-half minutes to go before halftime.
* The Mules closed the first half with their best run of the game, scoring nine straight points in a run that stretched into the start of the second half to get back within five points.
* After a three from Colby junior guard Cooper Wirkala brought the Mules within four, the Mammoths responded with an 11-2 run to take a 53-40 lead.
* Day scored his 1,000th point on a three-pointer midway through the second that put Amherst up by a 56-42 score and a McCarthy three soon after put the Mammoths up by 17, their largest lead of the game.
BY THE NUMBERS
* The Mammoths hit 10 three-pointers for the second straight game and seventh time this season, shooting 36 percent (10-of-28) from beyond the arc while holding the Mules to 22 percent (6-of-27) on threes. Amherst shot 43 percent from the field (29-of-67) to Colby's 34 percent (19-of-56).
* McCarthy scored 10 points, his fourth straight game scoring in double figures, and grabbed four rebounds. Robinson tallied nine points, eight rebounds and three steals.
