Overcoming an inconsistent first half, the Jumbos played tight defense in the second period of last Tuesday night's game to seal a 64-44 victory over the Fighting Scots of Gordon College. The win sent Tufts into its three day Thanksgiving holiday with a 2-0 record and dropped its opponent to 1-2 on the season.
Although Gordon never led in the game, it threatened to overtake Tufts, trailing only 19-18 with 7:29 left before halftime. The home team refused to yield, however, and walked into the locker room with a 28-20 lead after closing the half with a 9-2 run.
During the break, coach Carla Berube challenged her team to play defense with more intensity.
"Coach told us that we weren't playing well," sophomore Jenna Gomez said. "She said that our offense would come through good defense."
After shooting 37.1 percent from the floor in the first half, the Jumbos came out more focused for the second frame, making 12 of 24 shots. A quick jumper by junior forward Laura Jasinski increased her team's lead to double figures and propelled it to an 11-0 run. Five minutes into the second half, the Jumbos led by 19. They never looked back. The 20-point margin of victory was their high-water mark in the game.
"When we came out after the half, the run got us going," Jasinski said. "We had a lot of opportunities from their turnovers and we did a much better job of taking time off the clock, moving the ball around, and capitalizing off of their mistakes in the second half."
On defense, Gordon fluctuated between a man-on-man set and a one-two-two zone. With better ball-movement in the second half, Tufts created open shots on the perimeter, shooting seven for 12 from the three-point range, a stark improvement from its 0-3 from behind the arc in the first half.
"We should be ready and prepared for any type of defense," Berube said. "We're still working on our zone offense. We needed to be patient on offense; sometimes we get too fancy. The post players did a good job of moving the ball around, kicking it out to the guards."
Senior tri-captain Jessica Powers led the offensive effort with 15 points and seven rebounds in 33 minutes of play. She received support from Jasinski and junior point guard Marilyn Duffy-Cabana, who scored 10 points apiece. Senior tri-captain Katherine Miller contributed three assists.
In addition to the starters, Berube received a crucial effort from her bench, which contributed a total of 23 points. Gomez scored 10 points, and freshman point guard Kimberly Moynihan recorded three assists.
With Tufts' next game scheduled for Tuesday against Babson College, Berube rewarded her team with a three-day break for Thanksgiving. The Jumbos resumed practice on Saturday to prepare for the imminent game.
"We [were] all expected to stay active during the break," Gomez said. "It is a nice rest as long as we are all ready to come out here and prepare for our next game."
