With 1.2 seconds remaining in regulation and the score tied at 59, Wheaton sophomore Becky Aitchinson dribbled down the right side of the floor and launched a three pointer which found the bottom of the net, securing a 62-59 victory for the Lyons.
Improving their own record to 5-1, their best start in ten seasons, the Lyons handed Tufts its first loss, dropping the Jumbos to 3-1 overall.
Although the Jumbos trailed by as many as ten points in the second half, they managed to cut the lead to two with one minute left on a free throw by junior forward Laura Jasinski. After missed offensive opportunities by both teams, Wheaton junior Kim McCormack grabbed a crucial offensive rebound with 16 seconds to play. She was immediately fouled by junior Libby Park and sank both free throws, providing a four point cushion for her team.
"Most people looking at a four-point deficit with 16 seconds left would be discouraged," Tufts freshman point guard Kimberly Moynihan said. "But we'd been battling so hard at the end of the second half that we knew we still had a chance. The whole team could feel the excitement and nervousness. We really stuck together at the end."
On the next possession, junior point guard Marilyn Duffy-Cabana penetrated the Wheaton defense and hit a layup with seven seconds remaining. Tufts coach Carla Berube immediately called for a timeout, and the Jumbo defense swarmed the ensuing inbound, tying up the ball and gaining possession due to a favorable possession arrow. On the next offensive set, Jasinski nailed a jumper from the top of the key to tie the score at 59. That would be the Jumbos' last bucket as Aitchinson hit the three to end the game.
Sloppy play at the beginning of the game undoubtedly cost the Jumbo squad a victory in the end.
"At the beginning, we didn't play together as a unit," sophomore Jenna Gomez said. "We had a lot of dumb turnovers. If we played as we did in the end, we could have blown them out. We should have won."
Wheaton took advantage of the Jumbos' inability to protect the ball on offense, scoring 23 points off 23 turnovers. Trailing by one at the half, the Lyons came out strong at the beginning of the second period with a 10-0 run to build a 34-25 lead.
Berube called on sophomore Khalilah Ummah, who provided a spark off the bench to help bring her team back into the game, sinking eight points in her nine minutes on the court. The Jumbos got 23 points from their bench.
"When Khalilah came into the game after the run, she definitely brought us back into it and prevented a greater deficit," Gomez said.
Gomez herself had a double-double, nabbing a game-high 15 rebounds and scoring a team-high 16 points. She started in place of junior Valerie Krah, who was sidelined after spraining her foot in the team's Nov. 29 games against Babson. Her production was all the more valuable given 2-11 shooting (0-5 on threes) and four points from senior tri-captain Jessica Powers.
"Jenna owned the boards," Moynihan said. "She did a great job in Valerie's place."
As a team, the Jumbos out-rebounded the Lyons 45 to 33, scoring 23 second-chance points on 16 offensive rebounds.
The Jumbos look to rebound from their first loss with improved consistency and a win at Simmons College on Thursday at 7:00 p.m.
