While the women's basketball team has proved itself to be utterly dominant over non-conference rivals like Gordon and Lasell, the days of Scots and Lasers are over. The team is in the midst of its toughest stretch of the season, a five-game road trip that includes four NESCAC rivals. Their 1-2 record thus far in conference play has created a pressing need for NESCAC wins as the season winds down. Last weekend, the Jumbos split their two weekend games, defeating Trinity but falling to Amherst the following day.
This weekend the task gets even more daunting. Tomorrow, the team will head up to Waterville, ME to take on the 4-2 Colby Mules. NESCAC player of the week, sophomore Sarah Walsh, averaged 18.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game last week in wins over Williams and Middlebury. She is currently seventh in the NESCAC in points, third in rebounding, and fifth in blocks. The biggest outside threat may well be sophomore sharpshooter Jasmine Ashe, who leads the NESCAC in three-point field goal percentage, at 38.7. Last year the Jumbos were edged by the Mules 66-60 in Cousens Gym, the most recent of five consecutive defeats at the hooves of the Mules.
At 2 p.m. the following afternoon, Tufts will head to Brunswick, ME to face the 4-0 Bowdoin Polar Bears. Last week, the Polar Bears racked up huge wins against Williams, Bates, and Middlebury. They are led by forward Kristi Royer and guard Lora Trenkle, who average 14.2 and 14.1 points, respectively.
Bowdoin's strongest point is their shooting. They lead the NESCAC in shooting percentage, with 42.8, compared to 39.6 for the Jumbos. Royer led her Polar Bears to a 76-66 win over Tufts last year with a 16-point performance in the final game of the season.
Despite their records and previous success, the team will not enter the two games intimidated, and is looking forward to the increased competitiveness.
"We're looking forward to playing it because it's a conference game we have to raise our level of play," coach Janice Savitz said. "They are undefeated but not invincible."
Any success in this Maine weekend will hinge upon strong shooting and the ability to avoid turnovers, two categories which have varied widely all season for Tufts. In all five of the Jumbos' losses, they have never shot above 40 percent from the field, averaging a lowly 33.2 percent. On the other hand, when victorious, the Jumbos are averaging 43.7 percent from the field. In all but one of the team's losses, they have committed over 16 turnovers, and when committing less than 16, they are 5-1 on the season.
The five-game road stretch, which finishes up this weekend, is by far the most difficult part of their season. Bowdoin and Colby have combined 12-4 records at home, with Colby's only NESCAC loss coming at the hands of Bowdoin two weeks ago. If the team could split the weekend series or find a way to win both games, they would find themselves in an auspicious position heading down the stretch.
The last four games of the season, which begin on Friday, Feb. 9, will all be played in Cousens Gymnasium, and all four will be against NESCAC teams. With the fight for the seven playoff spots heating up, the Jumbos could either break .500 in conference play this weekend, or find themselves at 1-4, struggling for the final playoff spot.
