With its back against the wall and the season on the line, the women's basketball team again responded with a big win a night after trouncing Trinity.
Tufts jumped out to a big lead early and never trailed in beating Amherst 76-67 on Saturday. With the win, the Jumbos guaranteed themselves a spot in the NESCAC tournament next weekend.
Junior guard Julia Verplank, starting for the first time since returning from a knee injury, scored seven points as Tufts started out the game on a 15-2 run. The Jumbos led by nine at halftime, and maintained a comfortable advantage throughout the second half.
Amherst came into the game holding opponents to just 55 points and 34 percent shooting from the field, but Tufts was able to surpass those numbers by a wide margin, shooting 47 percent for the game, including 53 percent in the first half.
"We really concentrated on our defense, and that led to lots of fast break points," senior co-captain Erin Connolly said. "Also, in practice last week, we made a real effort to run through all of our plays. We really executed well, and got some great looks at the basket."
Fellow senior co-captain Allison Love led Tufts with 22 points on 10 of 16 shooting from the floor. It was Love's third straight game with at least 20 points, and she was consistent for the Jumbos, scoring 11 points in each half.
"We were really focused on executing our offense," Connolly said. "Alli [Love] got some great looks at the basket and she finished those shots."
Love and junior Laura Jasinski dominated inside for Tufts. Jasinski finished with a game-high 10 rebounds, and added 18 points.
The Jumbos displayed a balanced scoring attack, with all five starters finishing in double figures. Verplank scored all 10 of her points in the first half, while sophomore Taryn Miller-Stevens hit nine of 10 free throws in the second half to secure the victory. Junior Jessica Powers finished with 11 points and four assists.
Tufts won despite a slow night from their leading scorer, sophomore Valerie Krah. Krah finished 0-3 from the field, going scoreless in just 14 minutes.
Amherst was led by Krissy Morin's 17 points off the bench. Katie Latham and Shaina Pollack added 12 points each.
With their two wins over the weekend, the Jumbos secured the seventh seed in the NESCAC tournament. Next Saturday they will take on the number one team in the country, the Bates Bobcats. The game is a rematch of the teams' Feb. 5 meeting, which Tufts lost in a close 76-66 game.
According to Connolly, the hope of keeping their season alive provided added incentive for the Jumbos.
"[Getting into] the playoffs is a huge motivator," Connolly said. "We knew if we won both games we were in, so it was essential for us to come out strong. We played well and we really deserved to get in."
Getting into the playoffs was especially important for Connolly and Love, who want to keep their careers going as long as possible.
"Alli [Love] and I didn't want the season to end," Connolly said. "The playoffs are what it's all about. It's what we've been focused on since we started playing pick-up games in September."
Despite finishing the regular season with a 3-6 record in the NESCAC, the Jumbos feel that they are a good enough team to win the conference tournament.
"We're playing our best basketball of the entire season when we need to," Connolly said. "I'm excited to continue playing the basketball we've been playing [this past weekend] against Bates."
