NEW LONDON, Conn. – Sixth-seeded Connecticut College will travel to third-seeded Amherst College for the quarterfinals of the 2026 NESCAC Women's Basketball Championship on Saturday afternoon at LeFrak Gymnasium.  

Tip-off is slated for 4:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Setting the Scene
The 2026 NESCAC Women's Basketball Championship tips off on Saturday with four quarterfinal games. The winners will advance to next weekend's semifinals and finals, which will be hosted by the highest remaining seed.

Quarterfinals - Saturday, Feb. 21 at higher seeds
No. 8 Tufts at No. 1 Bowdoin – 2:00 p.m.
No. 7 Hamilton at No. 2 Bates – 2:00 p.m.
No. 6 Conn College at No. 3 Amherst – 4:30 p.m.
No. 5 Williams at No. 4 Trinity – 4:30 p.m.

Semifinals - Saturday, February 28 at highest remaining seed 
Lowest Remaining Seed vs. Highest Remaining Seed - 2:00/4:30 p.m.
Other Quarterfinal Winners - 2:00/4:30 p.m.

Finals - Sunday, March 1 at Semifinal host
Semifinal Winners - 12 p.m.

Scouting the #6 Connecticut College Camels
2025-26 Record: 14-9, 5-5 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 0
NESCAC Titles Won: 0

Conn College qualified for the NESCAC Championship for the first time since 2022, and will play in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2019 … the Camels are the No. 6 seed for the third time in their history (2017, 2018) … Conn enters the tournament having won three of its last five games … the Camels' 14 wins are the most since the 2017-18 season … first year Sofia Tavarez leads the team in scoring at 15.3 points per game and ranks second in the NESCAC in the category.

Scouting the #3 Amherst College Mammoths
2025-26 Record: 17-7, 6-4 NESCAC
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 12 (last: 2022)
NESCAC Titles Won: 8 (last: 2018)

Amherst is the No. 3 seed for the first time since 2021 … the Mammoths extend their streak to 21 straight NESCAC Tournament appearances and 23 overall … Amherst, which has eight NESCAC titles in team history, will host a quarterfinal game for the second straight season … the Mammoths, who have reached the semifinals twice in the last four tournaments, are limiting opponents to 34.0 percent shooting to pace NESCAC teams … Amherst won the regular season meeting between the teams by a 65-38 final at Conn on February 7.

All-Time Series
Saturday will be the 45th meeting between Conn College and Amherst since 1982-83. The Mammoths hold a 32-12 edge in the all-time series and have won the last 18 meetings. The Camels last defeated Amherst in 2007 by a 64-59 final.

Last Meeting (2/7/26)
The Mammoths cruised to a 65-38 win on the backs of their two bigs, who each recorded a double-double in the win. Brielle Renwick posted game highs of 21 points and 13 rebounds while adding three steals and a pair of assists and blocks, and Chase Anderson finished with a line of 15 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks, three assists and two steals. Both teams struggled early, but the Mammoths came alive in the final minutes of the first to lead 11-5 after one. Amherst then took control by outscoring the Camels by a 24-8 margin in the second period, as Anderson and Renwick combined for 19 points in the stanza. Mia Xerras paced the Camels with 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting and also pulled down three boards. Avery Burns chipped in nine points and shot 3-for-4 from beyond the arc.

Conn's NESCAC Championship History
The Camels are making their ninth appearance in the NESCAC Championship and have an all-time record of 0-8 in the tournament. Conn and Amherst will meet for the first time in the championship.

A Season to Remember
Conn's 14 wins are the most since the 2017-18 season. The Camels finished tied for fourth place in the NESCAC standings with a 5-5 record, the most league wins since the 2015-16 season. 

New Kid on the Block
Sofia Tavarez has made a major impact for the Camels in her first season. A front-runner for NESCAC Rookie of the Year, she ranks second in the league in scoring at 15.3 points per game and has scored in double digits in 18 of 24 games. She netted a season-high 31 points in wins over both Wesleyan and Bates, and she's the only NESCAC player with multiple 30-point games this season.

Xerras For 3
Junior Mia Xerras, who leads the NESCAC in three-point field goals, is shooting a career-best 42-percent from long range this season. She enters today's game with 56 triples on the year, just three shy of tying the school's single season record held by Jennifer Shinall (2011-12).

Cleaning the Glass
Junior Hayle Thompson and sophomore Sydney Marshall both rank among the NESCAC's leading rebounders this season. Thompson, who ranks fifth at 7.2 boards per game, has recorded 10 or more rebounds in seven contests. Marshall's 6.8 boards per game ranks seventh in the conference.