The Jeffs -- one of last season's semifinalists and national champions in 2011 -- will face the winner of Tufts University and Babson College next Friday evening. UNE ends its season with a record of 25-5.
Amherst's Bridget Crowley and Megan Robertson controlled the inside, combining for 29 points, 22 rebounds and eight blocked shots. Crowley went for a game-high 17 points, 11 boards and three blocks, while Robertson overcame early foul trouble to finish with 12 points, 11 caroms and five rejections.
Marcia Voigt scored all 11 of her points after halftime for the Jeffs, and Jasmine Hardy connected for a trio of three-pointers on her way to matching Voigt with 11 points. Haley Zwecker came off the bench to score 10 points and round out five Amherst players in double figures.
For UNE, senior Beth Suggs had 10 points and eight rebounds in her final collegiate game. Suggs ends her career with 1,128 points (14th all-time for the program) and 918 rebounds (3rd). Her 339 boards this season is the fifth-highest single-season total in program history.
Amherst jumped out to a quick start in the first half, opening up a 7-2 lead three minutes into the contest.
UNE recovered by scoring seven straight points to grab an 8-7 advantage. Suggs and Coleman each had a layup and free throw to account for the run.
The two teams would trade baskets over the ensuing six minutes. Leading 19-16 at the third media timeout, the Jeffs would score six of the next seven points to take a 25-17 cushion. Zwecker and Crowley converted back-to-back fastbreak layups to cap the spurt.
Amherst continued to edge away from UNE in the closing stages of the frame. A three-pointer by Cheyenne Pritchard as time expired gave the Jeffs a 30-19 lead heading into the locker room.
The Nor'easters were limited to 27.3 percent (6 of 22) shooting from the floor, compared to 40 percent (10 of 25) accuracy for the Jeffs. Crowley had eight points and six rebounds to lead all players in the opening half.
The Jeffs continued to surge at the outset of the second frame, tallying six straight points on three Robertson layups to establish a 36-19 lead. After a bucket in the paint by Coleman, Hardy drilled a three-pointer to give the hosts a 39-21 bulge with 17:09 on the clock, prompting a UNE timeout.
After a basket by Suggs and a free throw by Hayden got UNE back within 15 (39-24), the Jeffs countered with six straight points to get their lead over 20. Crowley sandwiched a jumper and a free throw around a trey by Voigt to make the score 45-24 in favor of Amherst with 13:14 left.
The Jeffs would continue to pour it on, taking their largest lead of the evening (70-31) on a free throw by Hardy with 1:38 remaining.
For the game, Amherst controlled the backboard, racking up a 51-32 margin on the glass. The Jeffs shot 53.6 percent (15 of 28) from the floor in the second half to finish at 45 percent (27 of 60) for the game.
The Nor'easters conclude what is the most historic season in the program's history. UNE totaled a school-record 25 victories, a program-best 20-game winning streak, and its first victory at the NCAA Championship (67-58 over Bridgewater State).