Tufts women’s basketball played two tough home games over the weekend, narrowly beating Amherst 49–44 and suffering an 81–64 loss to Hamilton. The results brought Tufts’ NESCAC record to 4–5, with one conference game remaining in the regular season.
The Jumbos got off to a slow start Friday against the Mammoths. They were scoreless for five minutes, missing eight attempts and going down 10–0. Foul trouble also began early, as Tufts committed five fouls in the first five minutes. Although the Jumbos scored just 4 points in the quarter, their defense kept the deficit to eight at the end of the period.
Tufts took a few minutes to find its rhythm in the second quarter, but first-year guard Tessa Lozner gave the Jumbos much-needed points, getting in the paint and running the floor for easy layups. Lozner’s efforts, along with a 3-pointer from sophomore guard Claire Kolkhorst, capped a 10–3 run to close the half. The Jumbos ended up down one to the Mammoths, 19–18.
“We knew after the first quarter our shots weren’t falling so we needed to put an emphasis on the controllables,” first-year guard Abby Congdon wrote in a message to the Daily. “We needed to step up our defense and capitalize on the stops we were making, and we did!”
The Mammoths regained control early in the third quarter, scoring the first 4 points. Lozner once again bailed the Jumbos out, making a jumper in the fourth minute. Another Kolkhorst 3-pointer tied the game at 25–25 — the first tie of the contest.
Tufts closed the quarter strong, going on a 10–0 run to give them a significant advantage going into the fourth. Another layup by Lozner, free throws and a layup from senior forward Sarah Crossett and a 3-pointer by junior guard Stella Galanes built the lead. Sophomore forward Abi Stone beat the buzzer to close out an outstanding end to the quarter.
The Jumbos opened the fourth quarter with two quick 3-pointers from senior guard Annie Aspesi and Galanes. Missed shots, however, opened the door for the Mammoths to claw back within 2 points. Tufts sealed the win with three clutch free throws from Galanes.
Tufts won 49–44, bringing their NESCAC record to 4–4 entering Saturday’s matchup against Hamilton.
“Our goal is to always put four quarters of great basketball together. Amherst is an impressive team but our grit and defensive effort, forcing 21 turnovers overall, really fueled our offense and helped us settle into the game,” Crossett wrote in a message to the Daily.
Tufts struggled to score again in the opening quarter against Hamilton. With tall post players, the Continentals dominated the paint, and their shots were falling. The Jumbos generated quality looks but were unable to score.
Lozner got Tufts on the board with 6 ½ minutes on the clock, making a jumper from midrange and bringing the score to make it 5–2. Shortly after, Stone drove to the basket, drew a foul and converted both free throws. Stone’s play sparked momentum, as the Jumbos added a quick layup and a steal.
Hamilton’s size continued to be a problem for Tufts. The Continentals seized control late in the quarter, finishing with a steal and an and-one opportunity. They closed the period on a 5–0 run to lead by 10.
In the second quarter, Hamilton continued to use their size and their shots kept falling. They opened the quarter with a quick putback 3-pointer that extended the lead 15–6. Tufts’ 3-point shot started to fall, though, as sophomore forward Siobhan Stapleton, Aspesi and Kolkhorst all hit 3s. All-out effort on defense closed the gap to 7 points with two minutes left in the half.
Momentum soon shifted back to Hamilton. The Continentals drew fouls, found open looks and continued to score, closing the half on a 14–0 run to take a 21-point lead.
“With every NESCAC opponent comes a challenge. Hamilton scored a season-high almost 60% from the field with both crafty shooting guards and a big post presence,” Crossett said.
Lozner jump-started the Jumbos after halftime with another midrange jumper. Tufts built momentum through second-chance opportunities, made 3-pointers and crafty moves in the paint but struggled to defend without fouling. Hamilton entered the bonus, and the quarter ended with the Continentals leading 63–39.
Despite the deficit, the Jumbos battled in the fourth quarter. Aspesi opened the period with a 3-pointer, and Crossett got by her defender to take advantage of a second-chance opportunity in the paint. Tufts also put on the pressure on the defensive end, nearly forcing two shot-clock violations. A foul, however, gave Hamilton an and-one opportunity with six minutes remaining.
Tufts closed out strong, going on a 12–0 run, fueled by free throws, quality defense stops and layups. One final basket by Hamilton brought the final score to 81–64, though Tufts outscored Hamilton 25–18 in the fourth quarter.
“Both in the Amherst and … Hamilton games we haven’t come out strong and have dug ourselves in a hole. We know that can’t happen so we just gotta make sure we come out with intensity and energy,” Congdon wrote.
Tufts will host Bates on Sunday for its last NESCAC game of the season.
