For 68 straight games, no one could beat the top-ranked Amherst College women’s basketball team. No one until Eastern Connecticut State University came calling on Tuesday night in Amherst, Mass.
The Warriors didn’t seem to be a candidate for the job of giant killer after a 20-point loss to Trinity College, and the Mammoths owned a 17-point deficit with nine minutes to play in the game. Then ECSU got hot, went on a 21-2 run to close the game, and stunned the two-time defending national champions by a score of 70-67.
They didn’t play a major role, but former local standouts Lizzy Cretella of St. Paul and Aiyana Ward of Holy Cross each saw time off the bench in the game for the Warriors. Cretella played 11 minutes and scored the only two ECSU bench points of the game on a pair of free throws. Cretella missed both of her field goal attempts but made both of her free throws. Cretella’s foul shots pulled the Warriors to within 65-59 of Amherst with 3:51 to play in the game. It’s great to see Cretella, a junior co-captain, back on the court after she lost most of last seaosn due to injury. Ward, a freshman, played nine minutes and didn’t attempt a shot.
Each team has a record of 2-1 following Tuesday night’s game, but you can bet that ECSU feels a lot better about its mark than Amherst.
NOTE: Cretella and Ward aren’t the only local players on the Warrior roster. There’s sophomore Diana Wnuk of Bristol Eastern and freshman Raven Cody of Wolcott.