This weekend the 1-1 women's basketball team will travel to New York City to participate in the Manhattanville Alumnae Tournament for the first time. Due to some schedule changes, coach Janice Savitz added the venue to give the team a chance to face strong competition outside of New England.
The four-team tournament will feature three New York based teams - Manhattanville College, Saint Lawrence University, and the City College of New York. Tufts' first opponent, Saint Lawrence, should provide its biggest challenge of the year, as the Saints are ranked fifth in the nation by D3hoops.com.
Over the past three seasons, Saint Lawrence has compiled a 70-17 record and at 3-0 this year is seeking its fourth consecutive NCAA playoff berth. Two years ago, the team reached the "Elite Eight," and last year won the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association.
The Saints finished last year third in the nation in Division III in scoring defense, allowing just 48.4 points per game and were second nationally in field goal percentage defense, allowing the opposition to hit just 30.5 percent of their shots from the field. The Saints have outscored opponents 198-136 this season. Facing Tufts will be the first time the Saints face a New England team this year.
Through two games, Tufts has played relatively well, defeating Johnson and Wales 84-66 two weeks ago and losing to a tenacious Babson team 85-71 on Tuesday. Juniors Emily Goodman and Erin Harrington have led the charge offensively with 16.5 and 16 points per game, respectively. But the Jumbos have relied upon many scoring options, with seven players averaging over five points a game. Every player on the roster has at least one basket. Tufts is looking to improve upon last year's 14-9 record and to advance past the first round of the NESCAC tournament.
Although important NESCAC play does not begin until Jan. 19, this tournament should provide Tufts with an opportunity to tune up for the more competitive games in the future. "For right now and down the road when we are playing conference opponents, it will be a good experience for the team," Savitz said.
Manhattanville College and the City College of New York should not be quite as competitive as Saint Lawrence, but will give Tufts a change of pace. The 1-0 City College of New York finished third in its division last year and is led by junior guard Lauren Gargill, who has tallied 1,141 points in just two seasons and is on pace to shatter school and conference records.
The host Manhattanville College has struggled in the early goings this year, dropping to an 0-5 record. Last year, the Valiants finished 12-12 and made their first appearance in the New York State Women's Basketball Tournament since 1986.
Goodman and her family, who live close to the tournament site, will host a team dinner during the two-day tournament. Therefore, despite playing four hours from Medford, the Jumbos should still have a loyal fan base at the event. "[Five] of our players are from New York and New Jersey so it will be a nice opportunity for their families to watch them play," Savitz said.
