Women's basketball set for playoffs

Excitement is the predominant emotion felt by the women's basketball team going into this weekend. The Jumbos qualified for the playoffs for the first time in two years and are gearing up for their NESCAC quarterfinal matchup at Bates in Lewiston, Maine on Saturday at 3 p.m.

After wrapping up their regular season last Saturday against Williams, the Jumbos have had a week of practice to get ready for tournament play.

"We are preparing the way we always do," coach Carla Berube said. "It's been good to not have a game like we usually do during the week. It has given us time to get our minds and our legs a little bit of rest so that we're ready for Saturday."

The Jumbos racked up a 17-6 overall record during the regular season, including four NESCAC victories. The team's 4-5 league record earned it the sixth seed out of eight teams that qualified for the postseason tournament.

Tufts' battle with Bates features a rematch of the regular season game the Jumbos won 66-59 on Jan. 25 at Cousens Gymnasium.

"We have to be on top of our game to pull out a victory up there," Berube said. "They are playing great basketball right now and finished third in the league. But we've beat them once already this year and we know we can do it again."

To win this game and advance to the semifinals, the Jumbos must continue to play their game with their style of defense. The team must also maintain its intensity throughout the contest -- something that it has had difficulty doing during several close games this season.

"If we don't win, our season is over. So that is an incentive," Berube said. "It's a big game; it's the tournament; we're definitely pumped up for it."

If the Jumbos are victorious on Saturday, they will move on to the next round of the playoffs where they will face either seventh seed Middlebury or second seed Wesleyan. The Jumbos defeated Middlebury just last Friday 69-58 for the first time since the teams began playing each other annually in 1993. The squad lost a heartbreaker to Wesleyan 79-76 in overtime on Jan. 18 after giving up a late game lead. Either way, the Jumbos have a good chance to advance further in the playoffs if they play up to their potential.

"Whatever happens, happens. We'll be geared and ready to play who ever is next," Berube said.

This year's success and resulting playoff berth are polar opposites of Tufts' dismal 2001-2002 season. The Jumbos won one single league game on their way to a 9-14 overall mark last year. They finished 0-for-February and took sole possession of last place in the NESCAC.

The dramatic turnaround this year has come in Berube's first year at the helm.

"We had very good chemistry this year," Berube said. "The team really enjoys each other and that can be seen both on and off the court. Chemistry is a big factor for a successful program."

The squad came together despite having only one senior -- captain Hillary Dunn.

"Hillary has been a great leader and captain and will be missed," Berube said. "But we have a group of juniors ready to break through and the underclassmen have followed suit very well. They are a great addition to the program and will be great here for many years."

Whatever the recipe for success may be, the Jumbos are entering their very own Div. III version of March Madness (only a month early) beginning tomorrow. Top seed Bowdoin went 21-2 overall this year and 9-0 in the NESCAC. The defending back-to-back champion Polar Bears will look for their third straight ticket to the NCAA Div. III tournament. Second seed Wesleyan and the rest of the field will look to deny Bowdoin a threepeat.

Even though Tufts holds the sixth seed in the NESCAC's, the team is optimistic about its chances for glory.

"We're pumpin and ready to go on Saturday," Berube said. "If we play the way we are capable of playing, we can beat the talented Bates team. It's pretty exciting."