MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Danielle Gervacio '17 scored a team-high 11 points for the Wesleyan University women's basketball team, but the Cardinals dropped a NESCAC and Little Three matchup Friday night at home to No. 3 Amherst College, 79-46.

With the loss, Wesleyan falls to 6-7 overall and 0-3 in conference play. Amherst improves to 14-0 this season and 2-0 in the league.

Gervacio led the Cardinals with 11 points, while Olivia Gorman '19 and Maddie Bledsoe '18 scored nine and seven, respectively. Bledsoe also recorded team-highs in rebounds (6) and assists (2). 

Four players scored in double-figures for Amherst, who was led by Ali Doswell's 16. Hannah Hackley added 13, and Jaimie Renner and Jackie Nagle dropped 11 each. Doswell and Marley Giddins led all players with seven boards a piece, and Meredith Doswell blocked a game-high three shots.

Amherst took a lead to start the game following a jumper from Ali Doswell, but Wesleyan responded with a 5-0 run capped off by a three-pointer from Gervacio. The Cardinals held a lead until the 5:00 mark of the first quarter, and knotted the game at 8-8 minutes later after a lay-up by Tara Berger '19, but a pair of free throws by Renner put Amherst up 10-8 with 3:23 to play in the first as the visitor's never looked back. 

Amherst led 18-12 after the first 10 minutes of action, and increased its lead to double-digits 4:22 into the second frame on a lay-up from Giddins. Kadijah Mathews hit two free throws in the closing seconds of the first half, but a buzzer beater by Haley Zwecker gave the visitor's a 40-22 lead at halftime. 

Despite a strong fourth quarter performance by the Cardinals, the deficit was too large to overcome as Amherst continued to increase its lead in the final 20 minutes of play en route to the victory. 

Wesleyan is back in action tomorrow, January 16 and will host Trinity at 3 p.m. in Silloway Gymnasium.