AMHERST, MA – The Rowan University women's basketball team had a 60-40 loss to Amherst College in the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.
 
The Profs end the year with a 25-4 record.  The last time they had more than 25 wins in a season was in 1997-98 (27-4).  The team went 16-2 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) and won the conference championship tournament.  This was Rowan's 11 appearance in the NCAA postseason and the first since 2016.   
 
In the first round on Friday, the Profs advanced with a 72-68 win over the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.  Amherst (24-4) defeated Framingham State University, 70-46 in the first round. 
 
Guard Kennedy Brown scored 11 points for Rowan and guard Nicole Mallard followed with nine points and six rebounds.  Guard Paige Caldwell contributed with eight points.  Center Ayanna Johnson grabbed eight rebounds and finished the season with a school record 370.  She also set the season record for blocks (102).
 
Rowan trailed 18-13 after the first quarter.  Amherst guard Hannah Fox hit a three to lead 16-9 with 2:22 remaining.  Guard Eliana Santana made two foul shots (2:09) and guard Grace Marshall had a layup (1:16) to cut the deficit to three (16-13).  Guard Madeline Eck ended the scoring with a basket (1:06).
 
In the second, Fox's three-pointer with 2:41 left gave the Mammoths a 10 point advantage (31-21).  Caldwell had a foul shot (2:02) and Rowan trailed 31-22 at the half.  Eck and Fox were the scoring leaders with 14 and 13 points respectively. 
 
Brown and Mallard had back-to-back baskets to pull within three points (36-33) at 5:09 in the third quarter.  Amherst answered with seven straight points to go up by 10 (43-33), headed into the final period.  The Mammoths outscored the Profs, 17-7 in the fourth. 
 
Fox ended the game with 24 points and nine rebounds while Eck produced 14 points.  Guard Courtney Resch grabbed 10 rebounds and posted an Amherst record 12 blocks.