The Jumbos Will Protect This House

If they played every game at home, they might never lose.

The Tufts women's basketball team showed the truth in that statement with two convincing wins at Cousens Gymnasium this weekend. The two victories, over Amherst and Trinity, pushed the Jumbos' record to 7-0 at home.

On Saturday afternoon, the Jumbos turned in one of their more impressive offensive performances, beating Trinity 93-76. All five Tufts starters scored in double figures, with sophomore point guard Julia Verplank and junior forward Allison Love leading the way with 18 points a piece.

Their scoring was needed as Tufts played an uncharacteristically poor defensive game. In the first half, Trinity repeatedly beat the Jumbos down the floor for easy baskets. After the game coach Carla Berube was unhappy with the team's defensive effort.

"It really didn't seem to matter who we had out there, we gave up way too many easy transition buckets," Berube said. "That's not how we play. Giving up 76 points isn't good enough. That's not the defense we play."

On a positive note, the Jumbos were able to limit Trinity's star player, forward Rebecca Bell, to 18 points in the loss. Tufts was hurt, however, by Trinity's perimeter shooting. Several times in the second half Trinity three pointers prevented Tufts from stretching its lead.

Several times during the game Berube went small, bringing freshman Taryn Miller-Stevens off the bench to run the point. The lineup proved to be very effective for the 'Bos, making the team quicker and allowing Verplank to be more aggressive offensively.

"It really isn't a four guard offense, because [senior] Maritsa Christoudias practices at both guard and forward," Berube noted. "We're lucky to have a versatile player like her."

Verplank scored three points in the first half as she focused on running the team. But moving to the two guard position in the second half seemed to spark her scoring. Verplank kept aggressively looking for her shot after moving back to the point, and finished with 15 second half points.

"I think being off the ball makes her look for her offense a little more," Berube said. "She's been more aggressive in these last two games, and it's been a big boost for us."

Verplank and Miller-Stevens were important to Tufts' success against Trinity. The team's offense was noticeably smoother with at least one of its two natural point guards on the floor. The Jumbos struggled to set up their half court game and bring the ball up against full court pressure when Verplank and Miller-Stevens were on the bench.

"They're our floor leaders, they set up the offense," Berube said. "I always try to have at least one of them in the game. They really do a good job reading the defense and penetrating."

On the previous night, the backcourt seemed to have just as much success, leading the team to a 75-56 win Friday night against the Amherst Lord Jeffs. Sophomore guard Jessica Powers scored a game-high 17 points and added 7 assists, while fellow sophomore Julia Verplank scored 14. Each also contributed 4 steals, helping the Jumbos force Amherst into 19 turnovers.

The Tufts' defensive effort extended beyond just forcing turnovers, as the Lord Jeffs shot just 33 percent from the field and hit just one three pointer.

Tufts put the game out of reach with a 14-3 run to close out the first half. The Jumbos were up by nine at the break and quickly pushed the lead into double figures in the second half. They cruised the rest of the way, leading by as much as 20 points before winning by 19.

The only downside of the weekend came in the second half of the Amherst game when freshman guard Valerie Krah broke her right hand. Krah was out of control early in the season, but had recently begun to play much more consistently and was providing a spark off the bench with her offensive skills. She will be missed, though the team's backcourt depth makes the loss easier to take.

"It's definitely a loss for us," Berube said. "She's a very talented player. But we'll just have to deal with it. I told her to keep her head up, she's got three more years here."

Tufts is 12-4, 4-1 in the NESCAC as it heads into this weeks games against Salve Regina, Bowdoin, and Colby.