New-look Mammoths squad coming together

More news about: Amherst
Mar 15, 2022
Photo for Amherst athletics by Clarus Studios Inc
 

By Joe Sager
D3sports.com

Amherst women’s basketball team wasn’t sure what its identity would be this season.

The Mammoths, who did not compete last year because of COVID-19 precautions, entered the year with five returning seniors and seven sophomores or freshmen competing in their first season.

The squad quickly developed cohesion and became a balanced force. It led Amherst (25-3) to the national semifinals. The Mammoths take on UW-Whitewater (27-4) on Thursday at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh.

“We are all absolutely so excited. This has been our goal to make it here since the beginning of the season,” Amherst senior Gabrielle Zaffiro said. “Now that we’re able to get here, the feeling is unreal. We couldn’t be prouder of every single person on this team for helping us get here.”

While seniors Dani Valdez, Courtney Resch, Lauren Pelosi, Jade DuVal and Zaffiro were the only returning players with experience, it didn’t take long for sophomores Reeya Patel, Nicole Stanford and Abbey Skinner and freshmen Alix Stuart, Maya Cwalina, AnLing Vera and Kori Barach to fit into the squad.

“We’re a fairly new team. We have a lot of new players that had never played together before,” Zaffiro said. “Only half the team was on campus last year during COVID. When the season started, we all knew we had to come in and be ready to go. We put in a lot of work in the preseason. We covered some old plays and just tried to get everyone acclimated. The first day of practice, everyone was ready to go. We can see everyone has the same goal in mind. We’re really happy to have such a close-knit team. It’s really helped propel us to where we are now.”

The Mammoths shook off any growing pains to start the season. They won their first 10 games before some adversity hit. They had five nonconference games cancelled because of COVID-19 precautions and dealt with two other postponements.

“We’re ecstatic to get here. There were lots of ups and downs. We had a lot of games cancelled and postponed. It was very difficult knowing the trajectory of the season,” Vera said. “Through all the uncertainty, we stayed focused on what we could control – practicing as a team and paying attention to the little things. We are very lucky for this to happen and for us to get to this point.”

The young players leaned on the senior leadership to help guide the team through the different twists and turns in this unusual season.

“Coming in, more than half the team had never played in a collegiate game before the season began. It was a challenge,” Vera said. “The seniors have been so encouraging and positive. They have been such leaders and role models. They have really cultivated a positive and nourishing environment where we could all learn and we are never scared to ask them for advice. They are always there for us to ask questions. They are just so helpful.

“Even with setbacks and because there are so many unknowns because of COVID, if anything is thrown at us, we are able to accept the challenge and come together.”

Amherst seniors have been accepting of the team’s young players and welcomed them as leaders, too.

“I’ve been so grateful for having been able to play so much and have this role,” said Vera, a starting guard. “Coming from high school, you accept the leadership role you’re in as one of the oldest on the team. Now, as the youngest on the team, it’s sometimes scary. I am just so appreciative of everyone around me. Everyone around me has been so great. When I am not having the best game, there’s never anyone who gets down on me. They are the ones who pick me up and keep me going. The energy on the bench is electric.

“Even though we do have a relatively small team, we are so close. We know we can rely on each other when times get tough. It feels so good to be a part of the seniors’ journey as well.”

The team’s closeness and unselfishness led to a balanced approach. The Mammoths have a team approach on both ends of the floor. They have one of the country’s top defenses (49.0 points per game) and feature a multifaceted offensive approach where Valdez (11.7), Zaffiro (10.9) and Vera (10.3) all average double figures in scoring with Patel (8.6), Resch (6.6) and Pelosi (6.6) close behind.

“We do have a very good balance. Every game, it seems like someone new steps up,” Zaffiro said. “We can always rely on at least one person to have a great, standout game to get us going. That balance allows us to have those moments where one of us can make a really, really big play and help us win. That’s a big staple of our team. We appreciate that everyone knows their role and can step up when we need them to step up.”

“We’ve been able to put in little wrinkles and plays for what players are particularly good at, too,” Vera added. “It’s a very balanced approach. That’s something that many other teams don’t have. We all put in a lot of effort each game and we all come out ready to play. People will have off games, but it’s not like we break down when that happens.”

Amherst benefited from hosting the first two rounds of the tournament. But, the Mammoths are happy to hit the road to visit Pittsburgh.

“We weren’t expecting to host the last round, so that was a great surprise,” Zaffiro said. “Amherst was on spring break, but we still had a great turnout. We’re super grateful to play at home, but we’re really excited to go on the road and have another opportunity to bond together. We haven’t been on the road in a while, so it’ll be great to have that experience with everyone.

“Whitewater is a really great team. They are very solid and we think it’ll be a good matchup,” she continued. “We think there are different things that we could capitalize on. We know have to bring 110 percent effort. We’re looking forward to that.”

The team hopes to make the trip count.

“We know this is the end. There are only two more wins out there to get and two more practices. It’s very sentimental for the seniors and all of us,” Vera said. “We’ve had such a special season. It is exciting knowing what is ahead and what the end goal is and it’s so near. I am thrilled to be part of that and excited for the memories we will make.”