Jumbos scratch out win over Smith

Good teams find a way to win on the road. Though it did not play up to its full potential, the women's basketball team gutted out a win at Smith College, 68-60, on Tuesday night. The Jumbos now prepare for two NESCAC home games this weekend against Amherst and Trinity.

"We have been struggling a little bit to get a flow in our game recently," senior tri-captain Maritsa Christoudias said. "[Smith] was just a hard environment to play in. It was really dead and quiet. They were a scrappy team and we tended to play down to their level."

"It was a good team effort in a tough place to play," coach Carla Berube added. "The way that Smith played took us a little out of our game."

Tufts never trailed in the game, but the score was not indicative of the team's performance.

"We had trouble taking care of the ball," Christoudias said. "We consider ourselves to be a full court team and, to do that; we need to focus for the full forty minutes."

The Jumbos opened the game's scoring with two free throws by Christoudias. Tufts held a 37-29 advantage at half time, but was having trouble converting many of its shots. The team netted just 12 of its 34 first half attempts for a paltry 35.3 shooting percentage.

"We have to be able to knock down shots when we're not in Cousens," Berube said. "There were a lot of easy shots that were missed even though we were getting good looks at the hoop."

The team also had problems adjusting to Smith's 2-3 zone defensive strategy.

"The zone demands that you play smart," Christoudias said. "We need to create more and take care of the ball really well."

Tufts came out after half time and continued to distance itself from Smith despite some sloppy play. Midway through the second half, the Jumbos went on a 13-2 scoring run capped by freshman Jenny Muller's three pointer. With a 17-point lead and just under ten minutes remaining in the game, it appeared as if the Jumbos would cruise down the home stretch for the win.

Smith, however, clawed its way back to within eight points by the time the final buzzer sounded.

"They played hard for the entire 40 minutes," Berube said. "They never stopped and cut into [our lead] by the end. We missed some shots and also had some unforced turnovers towards the end [as well.]"

Though the team was not entirely satisfied with its performance, it will use this win as another stepping stone towards this weekend's important NESCAC match-ups. Tufts will square off against rivals Amherst and Trinity in Cousens Gym on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Looking back into the recent past, Tufts has reason to be excited for these coming games.

"We're going to be ready," Christoudias said. "The coaches know that and the players know that."

Last year, Tufts fell hard to Amherst on the road 63-41. The team shot just 17 percent from the field and came away frustrated with its performance.

"Last year was just ridiculous," Christoudias said. "It was a bad game. I think in front of our fans and on our home court, [Amherst] is a very beatable team [this year]. And the fact that it's Amherst means there's definitely going to be some revenge. We are extra ready."

"Amherst is kind of an up and down team," Berube said. "We hit them on an upswing last year so we don't know what to expect [this year]. We just have to play our game."

In contrast to 2003's Amherst game, the Jumbos handled Trinity last season on the road 80-43. In the ever-changing NESCAC, however, last year could be nothing more than a memory.

"The whole [league] is unpredictable," Christoudias said. "We can't pretend anything is going to be easy. We want to follow up a big win against Amherst with a big win against Trinity."

In preparation for these two critical games, the squad has been working on its focus as well as practicing against the zone. According to Christoudias, these two aspects will play a large part in Tufts' success this weekend.

"The biggest thing is our mental toughness," Christoudias said. "The NESCAC is really competitive and is what really matters; it's what our season is focused [upon.]"

"Our goal is to make the NESCAC playoffs," Berube said. "We just want to play well each game and get better."