Women's Basketball | Tufts ends perfect winter break with another victory over Bates

    The women's basketball team's rivalry with Bates is quickly becoming a one-sided affair.
    The nationally ranked No. 12 Jumbos upped their current winning streak to six games, topping the one-time powerhouse Bobcats 66-55 Saturday afternoon in Lewiston, Maine in a contest that will not factor into either team's conference record. The win, coming in Tufts' final tune-up before official NESCAC play tips off on Friday evening, capped off a perfect 4-0 winter recess slate for the Jumbos and improved the team's record to 9-1.
    "Any time you can get a victory against a program like Bates, it's a great win, especially up at their gym," coach Carla Berube said. "They're a young team that's getting better with every game. I don't think it was the best game we've played all season, but it was good to go up there and get a quality victory."
    Tufts seized control early, limiting a Bates team that entered the game shooting 43 percent from the field to 25 percent in the first half. Though senior co-captain and second-team All-NESCAC guard Val Beckwith tallied 11 first-half points, the Jumbos shut down the rest of the Bobcats' attack. Junior forward Lauren Yanofsky, the Bobcats' second-leading scorer, was limited to 1-of-6 shooting in the half, as outside of Beckwith, Bates managed just four field goals and 10 points.
    Tufts' stingy defensive effort early in the game was reminiscent of other recent matchups between the Bobcats and Jumbos. In the teams' previous three meetings, Tufts held Bates under 33 percent from the field each time, allowing over 50 points just once.
    With the Bobcats' offense stymied, the Jumbos took advantage, building up an 11-point halftime cushion thanks to an efficient offensive effort. By halftime, every Tufts starter had at least four points and the team was shooting 50 percent from the floor.
    Still, Bates remained close early in the second half, as Yanofsky exploded for eight points in the first 5:02 of the period and helped whittle the deficit down to as few as seven. The Jumbos did little to stifle the Bobcats' comeback, as Tufts turned the ball over 13 times in the first 25 minutes of the contest, which led to 19 Bates points. By the end of the game, the Jumbos had crossed the 20-turnover mark for the fifth time this season, something they did seven times last year.
    "We're not quite satisfied yet with our defensive showing," senior co-captain Kim Moynihan said. "We really are trying to ... put together a complete game of defensive intensity, and so our practice has been really defense-oriented. We're looking to come out and really control the defensive end more so than what we did at Bates."
    Over the final 15 minutes, the Jumbos put the game out of reach. After a layup by junior forward Julia Baily at the 14:35 mark put the Jumbos back up by 11, Tufts' lead never again shrank below double digits. With 13:20 to play, Tufts began a 9:06 stretch shooting 9-of-14 from the field, opening up as much as a 17-point lead.
    Four starters finished in double figures, paced by Baily's 18 points. Senior forward Katie Tausanovitch finished one rebound shy of a double-double, while sophomore point guard Colleen Hart added a strong all-around effort with 13 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals. Freshman forward Rachel Figaro was a perfect 4-for-4 off the bench and added eight rebounds.
    "I think what sets us apart from other teams is the depth of our offense," Moynihan said. "Any one day, there are six or seven people who can come in and score in double figures. In that sense, we're all a threat, and that's hard to defend. The other NESCAC teams, you can point out their go-to on offense or their all-star. We don't really have that, so I think that makes us hard to play against."
    This weekend, the Jumbos will return to Cousens Gym for the first time since Dec. 6, where they will begin the NESCAC portion of their schedule with matchups against Williams and Middlebury.
    "It feels like we haven't played here in forever," Berube said. "Hopefully we can have some all-around great games for some great opponents that are coming in here this weekend. I'm excited that we're 9-1 and excited that during the break we went 4-0, but we have a very tough stretch coming up with Williams and Middlebury this weekend. We have to play at our best, and hopefully we'll do that."