MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – In a stunner that came down to the final minutes, the Wesleyan women's basketball team exploded for 24 points in the fourth quarter, coming from behind to defeat Amherst 65-61 on Friday night in Silloway Gymnasium. The Cardinals (9-10, 2-3 NESCAC) win for the fourth time in five games while the Mammoths (14-6, 2-4 NESCAC) are sitting in ninth place in the league standings.
After keeping with Amherst for most of the game, the Cardinals made their move in the fourth quarter where Wesleyan put up 24 points including a perfect 4-for-4 showing from behind the arc.
Olivia Quinn '26 hit all three of her three-pointers in the fourth quarter alone, as the freshman forward scored 13 of her career-high 18 points in the second half. Quinn combined with
Brooke Guiffre '23, who tied her career-high with 23 points (7-9 FG, 4-5 3FG), to score 26 of Wesleyan's 36 total second half points.
A landmark achievement, tonight's victory marks the first win for Wesleyan over Amherst since February 3, 2007. Nearly 16 years ago, the Cardinals snapped a 32-game losing streak against an elite Mammoths squad who recently won back-to-back national titles in 2017 and 2018.
After a low start wherein the two sides combined for six points through the opening 3:34 of play, Amherst scored on four straight possessions, rattling off a 9-0 run to take a 11-4 lead. Amherst's advantage swelled to 10 points late in the first before
Alana Jones '24 hit a circus shot off a Guiffre steal in the Mammoths backcourt to give the Cardinals life heading into the second.
The defense picked up considerably for the Cardinals, as after allowing 19 points in the first, Wesleyan outscored the Mammoths 16-9 in the second quarter. After Amherst jumped out to a 19-10 lead with 1:27 left in the first, the Cardinals held the Mammoths scoreless for the next 5+ minutes. During that span, Wesleyan scored 14 unanswered points with Jones setting the tone early and Guiffre hitting from distance before grabbing a steal and score to cap the run.
Both defenses dominated the next 6+ minutes but Guiffre hit again from three with just 12 seconds left, giving Wesleyan a 29-28 halftime lead.
A back-and-forth third quarter saw neither side lead by more than five points as the score was tied 41-41 entering the fourth where the game was won by an incredible three-point display. Starting with Guiffre in transition off a Jones steal, Quinn ignited a Cardinal run as she scored 13 points, in a span of just 4:27, the last of which a three-pointer at the top of the key that made it 60-52 Cardinals with 3:19 left.
With Wesleyan leading by six points and only 54 seconds left, Amherst made it interesting with a made three to cut the margin down to three with 21 ticks remaining. The lead margin remained three with 12 seconds left and Guiffre hit the second of two free throws to make it a two-possession game. Amherst took a desperation three in the closing seconds that hit iron, sending the Cardinal bench into pure elation celebrating the upset win.
As a team, Wesleyan shot 41.1 percent (23-for-56) from the floor and 53.8 percent (7-for-13) from three while holding Amherst to just 34.9 percent shooting and 25.9 percent (7-for-27) from three-point territory.
Three Cardinals hit double figures including Guiffre (23), Quinn (18), and Jones (12). Guiffre added four rebounds, four assists, and four steals in 38 minutes. Quinn posted seven rebounds and two steals.
Tori DaCosta '25 tallied six points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks.
All five starters for Amherst played 30+ minutes as the Mammoths produced 0 bench points in this one. Anna Tranum led the way with 18 points and seven rebounds. Reeya Patel went for 13 points, eight rebounds, five assists, four blocks, and two steals but struggled going 4-for-18 from the floor. Kori Barach posted 12 points, 12 rebounds, and six steals while AnLing Vera tallied 10 points and eight assists.
Wesleyan looks to sweep the NESCAC home weekend with a matchup against Hamilton at 3 PM on Saturday. The contest will also serve as Senior Day for the three Cardinal seniors (Guiffre,
Maggie Lee '23, and
Ciara Castillo '23).
