Springfield, Mass. – November 30, 2023 – A three pointer by Johnny McCain with 5.4 seconds remaining in regulation lifted Amherst College, 66-65, over the homestanding Springfield College Pride in a non-conference men's basketball contest inside Blake Arena on Thursday evening.

Springfield fell to 2-3 on the season, while Amherst improved to 4-2 overall.

Junior Curtiss Blische (Barkamsted, Conn.) led the offensive attack for Springfield with 19 points on an 8-for-13 shooting effort from the floor. Sophomore Josiah Evely (Toronto, Ontario) chipped in with 14 points, four rebounds, two steals and one block, while junior Gary Bess (Miami, Fla.) tallied ten points, four boards, one block and one steal. Sophomore John Paulino (New Bedford, Mass.) had a balanced game for the Pride with six points, six assists, six rebounds and a steal. Mohammed Alausa led the charge for Amherst with 14 points and nine rebounds on the night.

Zeke Blauner (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.) buried a shot from behind the arc just 3:06 into tonight's game to give Springfield an early 10-6 edge before Evely tallied six straight points for the Pride for an eight point advantage at 18-10 seven minutes in. The Mammoths responded and eventually tied the score at 25-25 on a trey by Marc Garraud, but buckets by Bess and Blische gave Springfield a lead it wouldn't relinquish for the remainder of the half.

With three minutes left in the opening stanza, two free throws from Paulino, a jumper from Blische and a layup from Evely extended Springfield's lead back to eight at 39-31 as the Pride took an eventual 41-36 edge into the break.

Springfield built its lead to the largest of the contest at 14 points, 54-40, following a jumper by Josh Hartley (Brooklyn, N.Y.) midway through the stanza, but that is where Amherst began its comeback. The Mammoths scored eight of the game's next nine points in a span of three minutes and then ripped off a 13-2 run that was capped on two free throws from Garraud to even the score at 61-61.

Springfield hit 4-of-6 shots from the charity stripe down the stretch but a miss by Paulino set Amherst up with the ball with under 20 seconds to play. Dan Schlackman found Alausa at the top of the arc and nailed the shot from behind the arc to give Amherst the 66-65 lead, its first of the game, with five ticks left on the clock. Springfield ran out of time as the Mammoths came away with the non-conference victory over the Pride.

As a team, Springfield shot at a 43.4-percent clip from the floor, converted for 26 points in the paint and turned 15 Amherst turnovers into 21 points.

Springfield will open New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play on Wednesday, December 6 at MIT. Tip off is slated for 7:00 pm from Rockwell Cage in Cambridge.

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