If games were decided only in the final 20 minutes, the women's basketball team might be the best in the country.
For the second time in three days, the Jumbos trailed for much of the first half. But much like in the team's 54?51 victory over Brandeis on Sunday, Tufts dominated the game down the stretch, outscoring Salem State by double digits in the second frame. The result was a 59?49 win on Tuesday that gives a young squad serious momentum heading into the heart of their season.
The Jumbos, now at 3?1 on the season, came out of the gate slowly Tuesday. After making only seven of its first 27 shots, Tufts was down 23?16 with just over four minutes left in the first half. But senior tri?captain Colleen Hart scored the next five points to reduce the lead to two before Jumbo freshman Liz Moynihan forced a turnover and went coast?to?coast, laying it up to complete a 7?0 run and send the teams into the locker room tied at 23.
"We have a lot of determination," Moynihan said. "We don't like to be losing and when we are losing everyone picks each other up. When we make good defensive plays, we run on offense and we build on the points we get."
After the break, the Jumbos and Vikings exchanged baskets and left the game tied at 39 with just under eight minutes to play. But from there, Tufts took control. Tufts, capitalizing on a tired Salem squad, dominated the boards in the closing minutes and turned 10 offensive rebounds into six second?chance points. Tufts outscored the Vikings 20?10 in the second frame, with all five starters contributing points.
"We have a lot of heart, and that is going to take us even farther than our skill would," Hart, who moved within 51 points of Tufts' all?time scoring record on Tuesday, said. "You can see everyone come together and just want to win. Yesterday was an ugly game, but a win is a win, and we'll take it."
The Jumbos shot 34.9 percent from the field - their best output since their opening game. They also continued to demonstrate their physicality, out?rebounding the opposition for the fourth straight game and dominating points in the paint by a margin of 22?6.
Most importantly, Tufts put in another dominant defensive performance. The Jumbos allowed the Vikings only 49 points on 30.9 percent shooting, and turned 11 steals into 19 points. The squad has yet to allow more than 60 points this season.
Hart once again led the team, playing all 40 minutes and tallying 23 points, while junior guard Tiffany Kornegay added 14 points and seven boards. It was also a breakout game for Moynihan, who, after taking the role of the unsung hero in the Brandeis matchup, exploded for 10 points, seven rebounds and three steals Tuesday.
"Liz had a big game, and it was nice to see her step up," Hart said. "She's a good player and she understands the game, so I think she will continue to get better."
Freshman Ali Rocchi also stepped up, leading the team with eight rebounds. Tufts knows that the development of its young players will be key moving forward - performances like this have the team confident for the future.
But despite all of Tuesday's success, the team is still frustrated with its first?half play. The Jumbos have led only one of their four games at halftime, and have twice shot below 25 percent in the opening 20 minutes. While the team has been able to rally late, it knows that it can only put together wins this way for so long.
"We have sort of become a second?half team, and all of us are dissatisfied with that," Moynihan said. "We all feel like we have to come out with high intensity. We don't want to make the games so close and nerve?racking all the way to the very end. We want to make a name for ourselves by blowing teams out."
Tufts will have the opportunity to improve in a trio of non?conference games before taking a break for the holiday season. The eight?day, three?game stretch kicks off tomorrow at 2 p.m., with the Jumbos playing host to Colby?Sawyer. The Jumbos handled the Chargers with ease in 2009?10, winning 74?48 behind Hart's 20 points and Kornegay's 18.
"Coach [Carla Berube] said from the start that after we started 1?1 there was no reason we couldn't go 6?1," Hart said. "We are going to continue to improve and continue to get better. Knowing we can still win even if we aren't feeling our best is a good thing. Hopefully, we can end on a winning streak and feeling great about our game."
