In their fourth NESCAC game of the season, the Jumbos fought hard against the Panthers, snapping a four-game losing streak and bringing their overall record to 8–8.
First-year guard Abby Congdon put Tufts on the board, drawing a foul and going one for two at the free throw line. Turnovers and fouls, however, kept both teams from finding their rhythm early in the first quarter.
Halfway through the quarter, sophomore forward Siobhan Stapleton found sophomore guard Claire Kolkhorst open outside the arc. Kolkhorst drained the 3-pointer, kickstarting the Jumbos’ offense. Senior guard Annie Aspesi hit another 3, and Kolkhorst found Stapleton on the pick-and-roll. With three minutes left in the quarter, the Jumbos were up 15–7 and forced the Panthers to take a timeout.
The game’s offensive rhythm was short-lived, though, as fouls, turnovers and missed shots mounted for both teams. The Jumbos alone picked up six team fouls in the first quarter.
Middlebury got the last points of the quarter, scoring off an offensive rebound with five seconds left. The Jumbos kept their lead, ending the quarter ahead 15–9.
Sophomore forward Abi Stone got Tufts’ offense going early in the second quarter with a decisive drive to the basket. First-year guard Tessa Lozner added a layup of her own and followed it up with a steal and assist to Aspesi. Two more Aspesi 3s forced another Panthers timeout. With six minutes left in the half, the Jumbos had a 13-point lead.
Middlebury came out aggressive out of the timeout, completing a 3-point play, recording a block and getting second-chance points. A 6–0 Panthers run made the Jumbos take a timeout of their own with two and a half minutes on the clock.
Tufts found its offense in the final minutes of the half with another Aspesi 3 and a mid-range jumper from junior guard Stella Galanes. Tufts stayed efficient in the quarter, hitting 60% from the 3-point line and going 9-for-14 from the field.
A buzzer-beater from the Panthers put the score at 36–29, with the Jumbos leading at the half.
Middlebury hit a 3-pointer to open scoring in the second half. A drive, another 3-pointer and made free throws put the Panthers in the lead for the first time since early in the first quarter. Three minutes into the third quarter, Middlebury was up 39–38.
The Jumbos responded quickly, however. Kolkhorst hit a corner-3, Congdon made two free throws and Kolkhorst got open for an easy layup. The Panthers answered with a mid-range jumper to tie the game 45–45.
At the end of the third, an offensive rebound gave Stone the chance for a layup. She fought through contact and made a free throw to complete the 3-point play. The Jumbos ended the quarter up by three, but the Panthers outscored them 16–12 in the frame.
Middlebury got two quick shots up to open the fourth quarter, putting them up 49–48. A few missed opportunities and another Panthers layup forced the Jumbos to take a timeout.
Out of the timeout, the Jumbos moved the ball well offensively and picked up the defensive pressure. Aspesi threaded the needle to find Stapleton for a score, Congdon pulled up from mid-range and Aspesi hit another 3. Tufts prevented quality shots and kept Middlebury from getting second-chance points. The Panthers took a timeout of their own with five minutes left.
“Heading into the game, we were really focused on making improvements on the defensive side of the ball, especially hoping to be able to get stops and score in transition,” Galanes wrote in a message to the Daily.
A Middlebury offensive foul out of the timeout gave Tufts possession again, and the Jumbos took advantage. Aspesi once again found Stapleton who banked it in. Lozner continued the run, driving to the basket and scoring. Down 10 with less than four minutes remaining, the Panthers took another timeout.
Middlebury was still unable to answer, however, as Aspesi hit another jumper to reach a game-high 23 points. The Panthers secured multiple offensive rebounds on their next possession and drew a foul. Congdon then got a steal and an easy fast break layup to put the Jumbos up 65–51.
Middlebury finally ended the 17-point Tufts run after its final timeout with a drive to the basket. Tufts responded with a fast break layup to close out the game, winning 67–53.
Despite Middlebury’s strong third quarter, Tufts closed out strong. The Jumbos outscored the Panthers by 11 points in the fourth quarter to secure the conference win.
“As the season progresses, we’re looking to keep growing on the defensive side and continue making strides in executing offensively. Also moving forward, [we’re] just hoping to continue to build off of the win this weekend and [learn] from the losses we’ve had,” Galanes wrote.
Tufts is tied for eighth in the NESCAC and will play No. 3 Smith today at home.
