Hamilton College's Kelcie Zarle '22 scored 13 of her game-high 20 points after halftime and the Continentals pulled out a huge 52-43 NESCAC win against the Amherst College Mammoths at Amherst's LeFrak Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.
 
Hamilton moved its overall record back over .500 to 8-7 and recorded its first conference win after the Continentals opened with three losses. Hamilton has won its last two games against the Mammoths after Amherst won the previous nine meetings. The Continentals aim to carry this momentum into their next game against NESCAC foe Middlebury College at Margaret Bundy Scott Field House on Sunday, Jan. 23 at 4 p.m.
 
The Mammoths, who are ranked fifth in the Top 25 coaches poll and seventh in the D3hoops.com Top 25 poll, were handed their second loss as they dropped to 10-2 overall and 2-2 in the conference. Amherst finished with just nine free throw attempts.
 
Zarle, who is the second-leading scorer in the NESCAC, also posted seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and one blocked shot. Emma Sehring '23 added 13 points and eight rebounds, and Katie Hansen '24 chipped in three blocks and two steals in 13 minutes off the bench.
 
Dani Valdez's double-double paced the Mammoths with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Lauren Pelosi contributed 11 points and Gabrielle Zaffiro handed out six assists.
 
The Continentals played stellar, pesky defense throughout. Hamilton disrupted Amherst's offense, consistently forcing difficult shots and tipping passes. The Mammoths shot 31.5 percent from the floor and were 4 of 16 from 3-point range. The Continentals came up with key defensive stops late as Amherst was 4 of 13 from the field and committed three turnovers in the fourth quarter. 
 
Hamilton opened the first quarter with nine straight points and led for almost the entire game. Amherst's first and only lead was 32-31 with 2:07 left in the third quarter. Zarle responded with two consecutive 3-pointers and the Continentals led the rest of the way. Hamilton owned a 16-10 advantage after one quarter, 24-21 at the break, and 37-34 after 30 minutes.
 
The Continentals pulled away with some clutch shots that helped seal the victory. Tessa Cole '25 banked in a 3-pointer with 3:30 remaining and pushed Hamilton's lead to 47-41. Sehring followed with a floater that beat the shot clock on the Continentals' next possession, and Zarle iced the game on another floater for a 51-43 advantage with 25 seconds to go.