For the third straight season, the Tufts women's basketball team defeated the Colby−Sawyer Chargers by over 20 points, this time with a final score of 74−48 on Saturday. Despite a season−opening loss, the Jumbos have raised the bar for themselves and have beaten four consecutive opponents by double digit margins, with Saturday's 26 point win being the largest of the season.
"In our first regular season game, a lot of us were really nervous," said sophomore Tiffany Kornegay, who put up 18 points on the day. "But we've learned from that experience and have increased our level of intensity."
The win against the Chargers brings the Jumbos' record up to 5−1. Though the team came into the season with some question marks, particularly in the post, any reservations have been largely forgotten thanks to its recent dominance.
"We're very proud of the win; we spent a lot of time preparing for Colby−Sawyer and we feel really good about how well we played against them," Kornegay said.
Though both teams came out strong in the first quarter, Tufts quickly pulled away after 13 minutes of play. Already ten points ahead, the Jumbos ended the second quarter on a 21−7 run, led by 11 points from junior guard Colleen Hart, who scored 17 points in the first 20 minutes of the game. The run gave the Jumbos a 40−16 cushion at the end of the half.
Although the Jumbos easily took control of the floor during the first half, maintaining their energy through the second half was a challenge. The Chargers fought back, scoring 32 points in the latter period compared to the Jumbos' 34. This marked the fourth time in the last five games that the Jumbos have jumped ahead in the first half by at least 18 points but fared poorer in the second half, either being matched or outscored in that period.
"We need to put two halves together," sophomore forward Kate Barnosky said. "We've been predominantly a first−half team this year and we need to start keeping our focus throughout both halves."
The Tufts team solidified its win by capitalizing on turnovers, scoring 20 points off the Chargers' miscues, and second−chance points, outscoring Colby−Sawyer 14−5 in the category.
"We've really put more emphasis on defense and everyone's grown into their roles," Barnosky said.
Three−pointers were a big contribution to the Jumbos' win, as they shot 10 of 22 goals from behind the arc. Hart contributed five of those successful three−pointers, all in the first half. She now sports an impressive .512 season average from beyond the arc on the season and finished with a game−high 20 points and five assists to go along with 7 rebounds. Kornegay was also instrumental in the victory, tallying 18 points for the Jumbos, who dropped the Chargers to 2−4 after their third consecutive loss.
"We know what other teams are like and what to expect, and from there we are able to build our game," Kornegay said. "We need to play hard, come out and finish strong, and stay consistent."
Kornegay dominated the offense for Tufts in the second half, scoring 14 points. Senior forward Julia Baily tallied another double−double, her fifth in the Jumbos' six games thus far, with 11 points and 13 rebounds, while junior Vanessa Miller contributed seven points and four assists.
Freshman Cailin Bullett led the Chargers through the second half, scoring 13 of her total 17 points in the last 20 minutes on 5 for 7 shooting. The Jumbos' defense limited the Chargers to 18 for 57 shooting and outrebounded them 45−34.
"People didn't expect us to be as good of a team because of how small we are," Barnosky said. "We are trying to work harder than ever before and prove a lot of people wrong and get some good wins."
Tufts will look to extend its winning streak to six games as it faces Wheaton on Monday at 7:00 p.m., wrapping up a four−game road trip before participating in two tournaments, the Regis College Tournament and the Land of Magic Classic in Florida over the winter break. The Jumbos have beaten the 2−4 Wheaton Lyons two times in their past four meetings.
