AMHERST Mass. – Sixth-seeded Connecticut College suffered a 77-55 defeat to third-seeded Amherst College on Saturday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the 2026 NESCAC Women's Basketball Championship at LeFrak Gymnasium.

Elizabeth Cain led five Mammoths in double figures with a game-high 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting. With the victory, Amherst improves to 18-7 overall and advances to next weekend's semifinals at Bowdoin.

Making its first NESCAC quarterfinals appearance since 2019, Conn shot 31 percent from the floor and 18 percent from deep. Mia Xerras (Charlotte, N.C.) and Sofia Tavarez (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) paced the Camels with 13 points apiece. 

Conn struggled early, going 1-for-6 from the floor and turning the ball over four times in the opening 6:14. Despite the slow start, the Camels trailed 10-2 and got right back into the game thanks to a three by Valeria Santiago Dedos (Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico) and a pair of free throws from Xerras.

Amherst scored the final four points of the quarter to take a 16-9 lead into the second period. Cain then took over for the Mammoths, netting seven points in the stanza to extend the margin to 35-18 by intermission. 

Tavarez scored nine of her 13 points in the second half, but it wasn't enough to rally the Camels back. Amherst led by as many as 27 in the fourth quarter, aided by 33 trips to the free throw line that yielded 23 points. 

Conn finished the season with an overall record of 14-11, the most wins for the program since the 2017-18 season. The Camels also finished tied for fourth place in the NESCAC standings with a 5-5 record, the most league wins since the 2015-16 campaign.