MORRISVILLE, NY -- A decisive third-quarter helped the Amherst College women's basketball team turn a closer-than-it-wanted halftime score into a runaway victory Friday night as the Mammoths held Oswego State to just 10 second-half points in a 61-33 victory.

Amherst (2-0) will play Misericordia in the championship game of the SUNY-Morrisville Tip-Off Tournament Saturday at 3 p.m.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

* Despite 15 first-half points from senior Reeya Patel,the Mammoths led Oswego by only six at the halftime break, 29-23. 

* Junior Kori Barach ignited a strong second half by scoring the first seven points by either team in the third quarter. She hit a trey from the top of the key to open the quarter, She was the beneficiary of a nice play by Patel, who tip-toed the baseline to keep a ball from getting out-of-bounds, then flipped a pass to an open Barach under the basket for the easy lay-in. Barach then made e a nice spin move to her left in the paint that resulted in another lay-up and a 36-23 Amherst lead. 

* It was 36-26 when Laura Mendell drove the baseline from right to left, slicing between two Laker defenders for an impressive lay-in and a 12-point lead. Barach continued to show up when she put home a reverse lay-up for a 40-29 lead. Patel followed with a 4-foot floater in the paint for a 13-point lead, and Alix Stuart made a pair of free throws to make it a 15-point. Stuart added another basket before hitting a nice turnaround jumper from 8-feet, giving Amherst a 52-29 lead at the end of the third quarter. 

* In that third quarter Amherst held Oswego to 11.1 (2 for 18) shooting from the floor while outrebounding the Lakers, 17-9, on the glass.

* Things did not get improve for the Lakers in the fourth quarter as Amherst outscored them 11-4 to walk away 61-33 victors.

BY THE NUMBERS: 

* Patel led the way for Amherst with 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 assists. Barach had 16 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals. Annie McCarthy had 2 points and a team-leading 11 rebounds. Mendel had 8 points and 4 rebounds. Stuart notched 6 points.

* Amherst outrebounded Oswego State 55-34 in the win.