Playing on the road against No. 9 Brandeis, conventional wisdom would say shooting 1-for-19 from beyond the arc would be a recipe for disaster for Tufts. But on the back of an inspiring performance by senior forward Julia Baily and a defense that stifled the Brandeis attack, the women's basketball team pulled out a hard-fought 60-50 upset victory over the previously undefeated Judges, a feat that could have lasting effects as the season progresses.
Baily had her fourth double-double of the season with 20 points and 15 rebounds, and Tufts (3-1) did not trail against a team that made the Elite Eight of last year's NCAA tournament, holding Brandeis to its lowest point output of the season.
"We just focused on defense," Baily said. "It was a relatively low-scoring game. I think more than anything defense won us that game."
Going into the game against Brandeis (5-1), Tufts was shooting an impressive 37.7 percent from three-point territory, accounting for a large portion of the team's offensive production. However, in this game, the team's ability to shoot three-pointers deserted it completely, as the Jumbos were able to convert on just one attempt.
Yet, Tufts showed that it is a well-rounded team, finding other ways to score points. The Jumbos had 13 offensive rebounds and managed to turn them into 12 second-chance points. They also created another 21 points off of turnovers, led by four steals each from sophomore guard Tiffany Kornegay and junior tri-captain guard Vanessa Miller.
"While Tiffany and I may have gotten the numbers, it was really a team effort," Miller said. "We tipped passes and pressured their girls enough to make them make bad passes."
The Jumbos' own clean play was just as important as their ability to capitalize on the Judges' miscues. Tufts only allowed four offensive rebounds in the entire first half and did not give up a point off of a turnover in the entire game.
"We did a good job defensively keeping them off the offensive boards," Miller said. "Our post did a really great job of bearing down and boxing out."
Tufts' clean game kept Brandeis from ever being able to completely close the gap. The Judges pulled to within one at 22-21, but Tufts went on a 6-2 run to close out the half and never let Brandeis within three points for the rest of the game.
Baily is now leading the team with averages of 20.3 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. But it took much more than just one strong performance to pace the Jumbos against a tough foe. Junior tri-captain guard Colleen Hart and sophomore forward Kate Barnosky also contributed double-doubles; each put up 12 points and Hart had 11 rebounds while Barnosky had 10. It was the second straight game in which the Jumbos had a guard with at least 10 rebounds.
"I feel like we wanted it more," Baily said. "We outworked them and in the end the small hustle plays and the scrappy play on both offense and defense contributed to us being able to win."
On the Brandeis side of the ball, senior guard Jessica Chapin led the team in both points and boards with 13 and nine, while junior guard Diana Cincotta contributed 11 points and five rebounds off the bench. Chapin, a pre-season All-American, had her low point total outside of the team's opening game of the season, a 66-32 drubbing of Worcester Polytechnic Institute in which she played just 23 minutes.
"We really wanted to keep Chapin below her average," Miller said. "We knew that she was a great shooter. To keep her way below her average was something we are all very proud of."
The victory was only Tufts' second against Brandeis since the 2002-2003 season. A strong win against a non-conference opponent is a good sign for Tufts' potential quest for an at-large bid to the tournament at the end of the year. With the NESCAC only receiving two at-large bids last season, a win over a team in the top 10 will certainly boost Tufts' résumé. But the Jumbos are not planning to let the victory get to their heads.
"We feel good, but it didn't show us anything we didn't know we already had," Miller said. "We know who we are as a team and we know what we are capable of, but this is the first time we showed it for all 40 minutes. We are very happy to put together a complete game so early in the season. But it means nothing if we don't continue to play like this. It's just one game."
While the Jumbos' schedule gets easier at the beginning of December, they need to be careful not to let their guard down and fall prey to a weaker opponent. Salem State brings its 2-1 record to Tufts tonight hoping to avenge a close 66-62 loss last season.
"Unlike Brandeis, Salem State's key players are found in the post position," Baily said. "We are working on doubling down low and some other strategies. But most importantly we just need to focus. We want this game just as much as any other."
