The Right Choice: Amherst Completes Improbable Comeback

Fliers filled the foyers of buildings across campus in the days leading up to basketball’s momentous clash against Bates in the Women’s NESCAC Quarterfinals on Saturday. The women’s basketball team isn’t used to losing; under Coach G.P. Gromacki, the program has accumulated a record of 456-56 in 17 seasons and counting. Nonetheless, it’s no secret that the program has experienced a downturn over the past two seasons. Despite maintaining a winning record, the team has not qualified for the NCAA tournament, twice ending their season in the NESCAC quarterfinal.

Because of that, you could feel the tension as students, fans, parents, and grandparents filed into the LeFrak Gymnasium. The screeching sound of sneakers, jump shots, and hype music could hardly quell the quiet nervousness of the timid home fans. In contrast, the away section sounded like they had nothing to lose, confidently chatting and dancing to the Black Eyed Peas.

Amherst started slowly, struggling to guard Bates in transition and quickly falling down 7-0. Following an early crisis timeout, layups from Elizabeth Cain ’28 and substitute Kori Barach ’25 put Amherst on the board, injecting life into the otherwise sloppy home side. “My thoughts were rooted in excitement. Coming off the bench, you either get to match the tone or change it,” Barach said. “Coming in down seven, we had nothing to lose.” Moments later, Barach drilled a 3-pointer to give the Mammoths their first lead of the game at 11-10, jumpstarting a flurry of early lead changes. In their penultimate possession of the quarter, a bad pass from Amherst led to a backcourt violation and turnover, a mistake that cemented the tone for the rest of the first half.

The flustered Mammoths repeatedly failed to contain center Elsa Daulerio. Daulerio contributed on both ends for the Bobcats, blocking two shots and scoring a crafty layup as the visitors captured a 23-20 lead at the start of the second quarter. Answering back, dual-sport athlete Annie McCarthy ’26 made an impact off the bench, drilling a towering 3-point shot that nearly touched the stars, leveling the game at 25 all. After a slew of turnovers, rushed offensive sets, and the occasional bucket, Amherst ended the half with a shot-clock violation and a five-point deficit, trailing Bates 34-29.

While the team returned to the locker room, Gromacki and his staff hung back and scratched halftime adjustments into small notepads. The changes proved futile. Amherst struggled to get it going in the third quarter. The Mammoths went scoreless for nearly six minutes, and Bates captured a commanding 44-29 lead. At the 4:30 mark, Reagan Pahl ’27 finally broke the dry spell with a catch-and-shoot 3-point shot near the top of the key, cutting the lead to 12.

At that moment, there was an energy shift in the arena. The Mammoths had just over 14 minutes to right the ship. The players, coaches, and fans faced a choice: maintain 17 years of unprecedented success that has outlived the school’s mascot, the tenure of three school presidents, and the lifetime of next year’s recruiting class, or teeter out, ending all the success in a whimper. After all, what is three years if not a pattern?

Fortunately, Amherst chose the former. “They told themselves they’re not losing this game,” Gromacki said. A loud chant from the student section, followed by a Bates turnover, led to a foul and two drilled free throws by Barach at the other end, cutting the deficit to just 10. The Mammoths continued to push their agenda with another defensive stand and buckets from Anna Tranum ’26 and McCarthy. The fanatical student section was thrusting the team into the stratosphere. “We definitely felt it,” McCarthy said. The run continued with solid team defense and layups from Barach and McCarthy, making it a one-possession game. “In the third quarter, it was all about having a ‘now or never’ mindset … never doubt[ing] our ability to win,” McCarthy said.

And so, mere moments into the fourth quarter, a swift steal by Tranum set up McCarthy from behind the arc. McCarthy, possessed by some insatiable desire few mortals understand, knocked down the 3-point shot in cold blood, capturing a one-point lead at 45-44. “She makes big shots — that’s what she does,” Gromacki told me.

I must admit, as a reporter, I hardly watch like a fan. I sit in the stands with a notepad and a long list of observations and interpret the game as if it were a piece of literature or a Renaissance painting. But even for me, when McCarthy hit that 3-point shot, it felt like something burst, some energy boiling under the surface just waiting to be defined and released. Frankly, I think we all felt it — in a wave of excitement, I threw up three fingers and tossed my pen in relief.

After that, the game stayed close, with both teams trading shots and hustling on defense. For a moment, Bates recaptured the lead until McCarthy launched another towering dagger over the heart of the defense, seizing the lead at 50-48. From there, Amherst never looked back, riding the wave of momentum through the finish line and winning the contest 61-51. The 19-6 Mammoths will play undefeated Bowdoin in Brunswick, Maine, for a spot in the finals on Saturday, March 1, at 2 p.m.

Truthfully, the basketball gods rarely gift a “come to Jesus moment.” When they do, though, it is up to the five players on the court to make something of it. In that sense, this win wasn’t about the fans, Amherst’s long-term dominance, the coaching staff, or some divine force pushing the Mammoths to victory, but simply the players on the court — those in purple and white gliding across the hardwood with an extreme version of an innate desire we all possess. In other words, when praising the victor, look no further than the athletes on the court — their teamwork — and their unshakable longing to live another day.