The women's basketball team took down Bates 64-52 at Cousens Gym on Saturday to improve to 6-1 in NESCAC play and 17-3 overall. It was the Jumbos' sixth straight victory and the 17th in their last 18 contests.
For the first time in five games, the Jumbos won by less than 20 points, and while they led the whole way, the Bobcats clawed back with improved defense in the second half.
Six Tufts players scored in the first nine minutes to secure a 15-4 cushion, but Bates hung around with the help of 10 first-half points from freshman forward Molly Brown. At halftime, Tufts led 32-22.
The teams traded buckets in the first few minutes of the second half, but Bates clamped down defensively and produced a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 34-29 with 12:34 remaining.
But the Jumbos were too much for the Bobcats to handle down the stretch. With 8:33 to play, junior co-captain Bre Dufault hit a three-pointer that ignited a 9-0 Jumbos spurt, giving them a 54-35 lead that put the game away for good.
"We are playing strong right now," Dufault said. "I think we're playing some of our best basketball of the season and hopefully we're peaking at the right time."
The Jumbos received strong contributions from a handful of players. Sophomore guard Liz Moynihan led the way with 14 points, while classmate and fellow guard Caitlin McClure added seven points, five rebounds and three steals.
Senior co-captain Kate Barnosky had nine points, five boards, two assists and two steals, while junior Collier Clegg contributed eight points, seven rebounds and two assists.
Brown delivered a game-high 18 points as well as six rebounds and three steals for Bates, while sophomore Meredith Kelly also reached double figures in points, netting 10 in the losing effort.
While the Jumbos thrive in the run-and-gun offense, much of their success this season can also be attributed to a focus on the basics — rebounding and defense. Tufts dominated the boards on Saturday, outrebounding the Bobcats 49-29.
Senior guard Tiffany Kornegay continued her season-long success on the glass with nine boards, while junior forward Collier Clegg came off the bench for seven boards of her own. Through Jan. 28, Kornegay's eight boards per game ranked second in the NESCAC.
The Jumbos also held the Bobcats to a lowly 34 percent shooting clip. After allowing 70-plus points in their first two games of the season, the Jumbos have not let an opponent score more than 57 points since.
"The first thing we drill our girls on is defense," head coach Carla Berube said. "Some nights, other parts of your game may not be there. But defense is all about heart and effort and we expect it every game."
With only four regular season games remaining, the Jumbos will soon turn their attention to the NESCAC tournament. But they still have some serious tests to pass. This Saturday, a showdown with No. 1 Amherst looms. The defending national champion Lord Jeffs — who have won 38 straight games dating back to 2010 — are the only team standing between the Jumbos and the top of the NESCAC standings.
Tonight, they will travel to Rhode Island College for a non-conference game against a Little East squad that is also on a roll. The Rams, like the Jumbos, have won 17 of their last 18 games and rely heavily on their defense. However, they have been out-rebounded 41.3-40.2 per game this year, a weakness Tufts may exploit.
"We're pretty much taking it one game at a time," Dufault said. "That's definitely the mentality we want to have, or else we may end up taking an opponent for granted."
