Salem State was precisely the type of opponent that was supposed to be a tough matchup for the women's basketball team this season.
Boasting a 5-foot-11 forward and 6-foot-3 center in their starting lineup, as well as three additional six-footers on their bench, the Vikings had the type of size and frontcourt depth that, on paper, would give them a tremendous advantage over the much smaller Jumbos.
But when the two teams met last night for the first women's basketball game in the new Cousens Gym, Salem State's apparent edge in the paint was virtually nonexistent, neutralized by Tufts' peskiness in the passing lanes and its strong post defense. In the end, the Jumbos christened their refurbished facility with a runaway 79-50 victory in which they proved that, even with just one truly experienced post player on their roster, they can compete with one of the better frontcourts in New England.
"It was a really good team win," senior tri-captain Katie Wholey said. "We expected their posts to be good, so we were ready and double-[teaming,] and they just weren't ready for that. It was just really good defense."
Perhaps the highlight of the Jumbos' performance was its effort against Vikings senior forward Danielle Jenkins, a two-time First Team All-MASCAC selection who torched them for 28 points when the two squads last met on Dec. 2, 2008. Last night, however, Jenkins was limited to a paltry two points on 1-of-7 shooting, as undersized Tufts managed to outscore Salem State 26-24 in the paint.
"We've been working on help defense and everyone being aware and heads up on the court at all times so we just know when to help out, especially with the bigger players," sophomore guard Tiffany Kornegay said. "I think we did a great job holding [Jenkins] to just two points."
"It's really all going to be about our defense this year," Wholey added. "When our defense is on, we're going to get a lot of confidence from that because we can run on teams, and we don't have to worry about the fact that they may have bigger players."
Jenkins was a nonfactor in part because Tufts' stifling perimeter defense ferociously attacked the passing lanes and denied her opportunities to get involved. Leading the way was Kornegay, who recorded her seventh steal one minute into the second half, and senior tri-captain Vanessa Miller, who added five steals of her own. In all, the Jumbos turned 23 Vikings turnovers into 19 points.
"We know that we're a small team, so we really emphasize pressure defense and not allowing guards to get the ball to the post," Kornegay said. "As guards, we just do what we can to pressure so it's difficult on the other team."
Tufts put the game out of reach with a dominant first-half performance, in which it outscored Salem State 42-16. Two days after going 1-for-19 from three-point range in a win over Brandeis, the Jumbos rediscovered their stroke from beyond the arc, draining six first-half three-pointers. Three of those came from junior point guard Colleen Hart, who finished with a game-high 15 points.
Since losing its season opener -- an 80-78 double-overtime decision to SUNY New Paltz -- Tufts has rattled off four consecutive wins, the last two coming against teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2008-09. On Sunday, the Jumbos went into Red Auerbach Arena and knocked off preseason national No. 9 Brandeis before tacking on last night's impressive victory over Salem State.
"These two wins are huge, and to come off Brandeis and get another big win is definitely a confidence-booster," Wholey said. "That big win doesn't mean much if you come out and you lose your next game. Definitely putting those two games together was huge."
Tufts is off until Saturday, when it travels to New London, N.H. to take on Colby Sawyer, another regional heavyweight that has reached the NCAA Tournament three times in the last five seasons.
