AMHERST, Mass. – Elms College sophomore guard Brittain Purcelle (Tarrytown, N.Y.) netted a team-high 18 points but No. 23 Amherst College's Taylor Barrise (Allendale, N.J.) scored a game-best 27 points including 20 in the first half to help lift the Lord Jeffs to a 93-60 win in Pioneer Valley Classic men's basketball action on Saturday afternoon.

With the loss, Elms slides to 3-2 on the season while Amherst, now 19-1 all-time in Pioneer Valley Classic action, improves to 6-0 overall.

Amherst got off to a fast start posting a 28-11 lead at the 11:02 mark of the first period and extended its lead to as many as 21 points during the first 20 minutes of play. Barrise connected on 6 of 6 shooting from beyond the arc and 7 of 8 from the field en route to 20 first-half points, while Conor Meehan (Meriden, Conn.) was 3 of 5 from the floor to post 10 points in the first stanza.

Elms' junior guard Daniel Gonzalez (East Windsor, Conn.) was 3 of 3 shooting from the field including two treys in the first half to lead the Blazers with eight points at intermission.

Elms pulled to within 14 points at the 18:49 mark when senior forward Juan Alverio (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) scored a layup but that's as close as the Blazers would get as Amherst maintained at least a 15-point cushion and from an 80-60 lead scored the final 13 points to post a 33-point 93-60 victory.

Purcelle finished with 18 points while Alverio notched 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds in the losing effort.

Barrise scored a collegiate career-high 27 points to lead all five Amherst starters who scored in double figures. Meehan followed with 14 points while David Waller (Tampa, Fla.), Willy Workman (Northampton, Mass.) and Peter Kaasila (Plaistow, N.H.) netted 13, 12 and 10 points respectively.

Workman totaled nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks while Meehan dished out five assists in the win.

Elms returns to action when it travels to Wheaton College for a non-conference midweek tilt on Dec. 7 at 7:00 p.m.