Since the Daily's last issue of the fall semester in December, numerous athletes and coaches racked up a few more regional awards to add an exclamation point to their successful fall seasons.
Two of the league's most prolific defenses will converge on muddy Heinz Field Sunday evening, with both their seasons and a Super Bowl trip on the line. The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens — two AFC North rivals ranked first and second respectively in defense in both scoring and yardage — will meet for the third time this season with everything at stake. Both will have to look to their young offenses to carry them to the Feb. 1 Super Bowl. Pittsburgh, the only team left in the playoffs without an avian mascot, is coincidentally the lone home team to win its quarterfinal matchup. The Steelers come into Sunday's contest having won seven of their last eight games, including last week's 35-24 drubbing of the San Diego Chargers. Likewise, Baltimore has won seven out of its last eight contests, the lone loss coming at the hands of the Steelers on Dec. 14 on a touchdown with 43 seconds left. Pittsburgh also won the two teams' other meeting in Week 4 by a score of 23-20 in overtime. Should the Ravens, a slim underdog, have any hope of moving on to face the winner of the NFC Championship tilt between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Arizona Cardinals, they will have to establish their power running game early and rely on the youthful arm of rookie quarterback Joe Flacco. Flacco will put his brief NFL experience to the test while facing a Pittsburgh defense with a history of unkind treatment of the opposing team's offensive stars. In nine games between the Steelers and Ravens since Dec. 26, 2004, no running back from either team has reached the century mark on the ground, and Pittsburgh has ceded just an average of 89 rushing yards per game since 2000. But this time around, Baltimore will attempt to break the trend with the fourth-best rushing attack in the league, as the combination of Le'Ron McClain, Willis McGahee and Ray Rice have racked up 148.5 ground yards per game. The Ravens have devised a system in which Flacco never has to make a big throw and never has to be the hero; his defense has taken care of that for him. All the first-year has to do is efficiently march the offense down the field for the occasional score, and he has done that to a T thus far. Through 18 games this season, Flacco has thrown zero touchdown passes in seven games and has yet to reach the 300-yard mark. On the other hand, in 12 games he did not throw an interception and completed 60 percent of his passes, earning a quarterback rating above 90 seven times. What has been most impressive about Flacco is his ability to remain composed during the game's toughest moments. In the overtime loss to Pittsburgh in Week 4, Flacco still executed a 76-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to push the game into overtime, despite being sacked five times prior. The constant pressure of the Steelers defense got to him in the 13-9 loss in Week 15, however, as Flacco posted a miserable 22.2 QB rating. Expect Flacco to try to air it out once or twice during the evening — his QB rating on passes of more than 20 yards was 90.4 on the season — but the majority of the offense will be devoted to letting the 260-pound McClain do the dirty work. Recently, Baltimore's most highly publicized aspect — and its saving grace when the offense falters — has been its terrifying defense, headed by All-Pros Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. The two teamed up with the rest of the ball-hawking Ravens to solidify a quarterfinal win over the Tennessee Titans, coercing the veteran offense into three turnovers. In two playoff games, Baltimore has posted a plus-seven turnover margin, while Reed has 10 interceptions in his last eight games. Baltimore's defense might be handicapped if linebacker Terrell Suggs, who has a sprained shoulder, is held out of certain series, leaving a great load on the shoulders of Lewis. A big key to the game for the Ravens will be blitzing quarterback Ben Roethlisberger who, while built like a linebacker, is no match for the relentless onslaught of a Baltimore pass rush. The hopes for the Steelers' offense rest almost squarely on Roethlisberger and his ability to withstand the blitz. He seems to have recovered from a spinal-cord concussion suffered in Week 17, evidenced by his divisional performance against the Chargers (65 percent completion percentage and no interceptions), but San Diego hardly has the opportunistic defense Baltimore has. Roethlisberger is aware that he cannot afford to make any mistakes on Sunday because more often than not, the Ravens turn those into touchdowns and insurmountable margins. Running backs Willie Parker and Mewelde Moore, despite putting on a show against San Diego, have relatively no shot of reaching the 100-yard mark in the game, as the Ravens have not allowed anyone to do so in their last 35 contests. The backs must find their niche as pass-blockers, allowing Roethlisberger more time in the pocket to find the open receivers streaking across the field, hopefully out of the reach of Reed. On the defensive end, the Steelers hold the edge, despite the heralded big names on the opposite sideline. Linebackers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley are at times unstoppable, and with the offensive linemen keen on stopping them, interior linebacker James Farrior and strong safety Troy Polamalu are free to blitz at will. In the last meeting between the two teams, Pittsburgh intercepted Flacco twice and limited Baltimore to just 202 yards of total offense. In eight out of their last 12 games, the Steelers have held their opponents to 10 or fewer points, certainly a testament to the skill of their defensive unit. Overall, the Steelers look like the safe bet in this contest. They are peaking at the right time, especially considering the way the offense was firing against the Chargers last week, and their defense can stop the run and pressure the young Flacco into mistakes. That said, Flacco and the Ravens' offense have been doubted throughout the season but have nevertheless continued to succeed, so do not be surprised if Baltimore squeaks out a close one thanks to big plays by its defense and the clutch leg of kicker Matt Stover.
Although the season is 13 games old, this weekend is in many ways a new beginning for the men's basketball team.
Two of the worst-managed games in recent memory, coming from the Carolina Panthers and the New York Giants this past weekend, have left an unlikely pair of contenders vying for an NFC championship and a ticket to Super Bowl XLIII. The Philadelphia Eagles didn't exactly shock the world when they upended the reigning Super Bowl champion Giants 23-11, allowing only three field goals and a safety to the men in blue. Without Plaxico Burress, Eli Manning was not given his normally massive margin for error on his throws, which meant the Giants had only one main way to put points on the board: Brandon Jacobs. But the Eagles' defense, fourth-best in the league and allowing only 18.1 points per game, stymied that threat and kept the game under control throughout. While Jacobs and co-rusher Derrick Ward combined for 138 yards on the ground, neither was able to convert on pivotal third- and fourth-and-short situations late in the game that essentially closed the book on the Giants' season. Although the Arizona Cardinals possess a pair of star receivers in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin — undeniably one of the best duos in the game — it's not as if the Eagles, ranked third in passing yards allowed, haven't faced their fair share of offensive dynamos this season. Since Thanksgiving, the Eagles have not allowed more than 14 points in a game — that's 14 points to the Giants on Dec. 7, 10 points to the Cleveland Browns, 10 to the Washington Redskins, a measly six points to the offensive juggernaut that is (or was) the Dallas Cowboys, 14 to the Minnesota Vikings and only 11 to the Giants last weekend. In other words, the Eagles' defense is on a roll. On the other side, the Cardinals are coming off a slaughter of the Carolina Panthers, winning with ease by a score of 33-13. The Cardinals' offense is on fire. Arizona put up 360 yards of offense, 215 of which came through the air. Unfortunately, 166 of those yards came from Fitzgerald alone. And if the Cardinals rely too heavily on one man to pull the weight, Andy Reid and the Eagles' D will find a way to shut that threat down, as they did Jacobs, and Arizona will be left scrambling to find another answer on offense. But if Arizona's strategy worked against the Panthers, why couldn't it work against the Eagles? The truth is that it didn't really work against the Panthers. Quarterback Jake Delhomme dropped five interceptions into the hands of the Cardinals' defense as well as a lost fumble. The 6-1 turnover differential put Arizona a mere 11 seconds away from doubling the Panthers' time of possession. The chance of such a drastic turnover and time differential happening again, especially against the Eagles, is slim to none. Unlike with the Cardinals, the most important aspect of the Eagles' receiving core is its great depth. In Sunday's win over the Giants, seven Eagles had 10 receiving yards or more for a team total of 217. That's two more yards than the Cardinals had in the win over Carolina, but the most by any one Eagles receiver was 81, a number more than doubled by Fitzgerald. The return of Boldin to the Cardinals' lineup after being out last week with a left hamstring injury isn't going to make much of a difference in Arizona's plight. Instead, the key to Arizona's game will be its rushing duo of Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower. James and Hightower combined for 133 yards on 37 rushes, nothing particularly special. Then again, they had Fitzgerald running wild on the Carolina secondary, so their performances weren't as essential. But Philadelphia, particularly the man-child that is Brian Dawkins, is more capable of shutting the Fitzgerald option down — if not completely, then enough to put the pressure back on Arizona's worst-in-the-league rushing attack, averaging a pathetic 73.6 yards per game. If James and Hightower can't get it going against Philly, the Cardinals' chances of a Super Bowl berth deteriorates drastically. Eagles running back Brian Westbrook is an extremely versatile back and consistently finds and penetrates any holes in a defense. He will likely pose a huge problem for an Arizona defense that ranks 16th against the rush and 22nd against the pass. With Westbrook's versatility, he is most dangerous when he starts off the play as a blocker, waits for the defensive line to push downfield, slips through the cracks, then breaks out on a screen play and devours 10 yards before there is anyone even close enough to try to tackle him. Even if the Cardinals were somehow able to stop Westbrook, as the Giants did last week by allowing him only 46 all-purpose yards, it clearly isn't a guaranteed win. Kurt Warner and Donovan McNabb each have their pros and cons, both having gone through some controversy over whether they would even be the starting quarterbacks of their respective teams. To this point, both have proven to be worthy. Both have strong arms and are quick thinkers. McNabb is younger, but Warner's resurgence is showing how valuable age and experience in these situations can be. Ultimately, however, McNabb can run a little bit and Warner can't; other than that, neither tips the scale toward his team more than the other. The bottom line is this: the Cardinals' offensive threats are few and far between. Any threats that do exist will more than likely be handled by one of the strongest defenses in the league. Conversely, the Eagles have numerous threats, from Westbrook to McNabb to a deep and solid receiving core that will be facing a weak defense. On Thanksgiving Day, the Eagles took down the Cards 48-20. What stands out in that game is the same factor that will likely be the Cardinals' downfall the second time around as well — while Arizona nearly matched Philadelphia's air attack, passing for 235 yards compared to 252, Philadelphia ran for 185 yards to Arizona's 25.
Conference play on Jan. 27, 2007 saw the women's basketball team reach a turning point in its rivalry with NESCAC powerhouse Bates, beating the Bobcats for just the second time in a decade. Tufts haven't lost to Bates since, winning the next four contests, including Sunday's 66-55 tilt. One of the reasons for the success has been Tufts' stifling performances on the defensive end: In each of the teams' last five meetings, the Jumbos have held the Bobcats under their season scoring average and shooting percentages. A look inside Tufts' defensive dominance:
The men's basketball team appeared to be on the precipice of carrying a four-game win streak into the beginning of conference play following a mediocre 4-5 start. Playing in Cousens Gym against the Wheaton Lyons on Saturday, the Jumbos jumped out to a comfortable 15-point lead in the first half against a team that was carrying a three-game losing streak and had dropped its last three against Tufts in the head-to-head matchup. But Wheaton, led by junior Jaxon Leo and sophomore Anthony Coppola, marched back and won 86-77 on the Jumbos' home court, dropping Tufts to 7-6 on the year. "It was very disappointing," junior Dave Beyel said. "Even more because we'd been playing so well for the previous three games. It was just tough. Obviously we got out to an early lead. Some guys came out, some guys came in and they ended up knocking down a bunch of shots." Down 27-12 at the 10:27 mark, Wheaton reeled off nine consecutive points, including seven from Coppola. The Jumbos stretched their lead back to eight, going up 34-26, before the Lyons went on a 13-4 run to take a 39-38 lead. After Tufts reclaimed its edge on a pair of free throws from freshman James Long, the half ended in bitter fashion, as Wheaton freshman Brendan Degnan stole the ball on the Lyons' defensive end and raced down the court, dropping in a layup at the buzzer that gave the Lyons a 41-40 lead going into halftime. In the second half, the Jumbos again jumped out ahead only to see their advantage disappear. Tufts held a 63-57 lead with 8:52 left in the half, but Lyons sophomore Ryan Sasso scored the next six points of the game to tie it up. The Jumbos took a 67-66 lead with 5:23 to play on a free throw from junior Tom Selby, but Wheaton again went on a run, this time led by Leo, as he scored the next eight points of the game to engineer a seven-point lead. Sophomore Matt Galvin and Coppola exchanged three-pointers before Beyel hit one of his own to bring Tufts within four, 77-73, with just over a minute to play. As time became an enemy to the Jumbos, they were forced to foul, but Tufts could not narrow the four point gap. Lyons combined to go 9-for-10 on free throws down the stretch and seal the victory. "It was extremely disappointing obviously," junior co-captain Jon Pierce said. "One thing you still have to remember is we're still a pretty young team in terms of playing experience. One thing a young team has to learn to do is close teams out. We had a chance to step on their throat but we let them back in the game. We knew they were a good team coming in, and we let them get going and let them come back in." Beyel led all scorers with 21 points, while senior co-captain Aaron Gallant contributed 18 on 7-for-10 shooting. Pierce scored 19 points to go along with 10 rebounds, but he struggled from the field most of the day. Pierce hit just eight of 23 shots, including one of seven from beyond the arc. "Obviously I feel terrible whenever I don't play up to my own standards and let the team down," Pierce said. "I wasn't really taking bad shots; I was just in a bit of a shooting slump. It was extremely frustrating. The team was still very supportive, though. I'm not too worried about it, but I'm still taking this loss pretty hard." Coppola led the Lyons with 19 points, while Leo added 17 of his own. Sasso scored 15 and notched six assists against just two turnovers. Wheaton and Tufts both shot similar percentages from the floor — 51.6 and 48.3 respectively — and the Jumbos had a sizable advantage in rebounds, 44-28. But the difference in the game came down to turnovers. Tufts turned the ball over a total of 22 times, including 15 steals by the Lyons, while Wheaton turned it over only 10 times. Wheaton ended the game with a 17-point edge in points off turnovers. "I think sometimes we just get a little flustered with the ball when we have it," Beyel said. "One of the things we stress is just taking care of it, and there's no reason we should turn it over so much. Obviously, with all those turnovers it's tough to win games. But we've been working on it in practice and stressing valuing the ball." "When you don't value the basketball, bad things are going to happen," Pierce added. "We had five or six [turnovers] that led immediately to baskets. When you're playing a good team, you really can't have possessions like that." The Jumbos will now travel to Williams on Friday to face the 10-4 Ephs for their first NESCAC game of the season. Last year, the Jumbos dominated the Ephs in their only encounter — a 25-point victory that was Tufts' lone conference win of the year. "Williams is obviously a very good team, but they're definitely beatable," Beyel said. "I think if we come and play as we can as a team for 40 minutes, it's going to be pretty hard to lose. But again, Williams is really dangerous, so it's all about energy and intensity when we play a team like that." "The thing about the NESCAC is every team lost a lot, and teams have underperformed, so even though we're 7-6 we still feel we're right in the mix in our conference," Pierce added. "If we come out and play they way we're capable of playing, then I feel very confident in our chances of winning the conference."
The winter recess provided little respite for the nationally ranked No. 12 women's basketball team, which played four games sandwiched around the start of the new year. The Jumbos swept all four contests, capturing the WPI Holiday Invitational title and scoring a pair of non-conference wins over Emmanuel and Bates along the way. Last season, Emmanuel lost to Tufts for the first time since 2004. The Saints threatened to reclaim the upper hand in the New England rivalry with the Jumbos when the two teams met in Boston on Jan. 7. Emmanuel led for much of the first half, opening up an 11-point lead with 15:56 left in regulation. But Tufts climbed all the way back, going on an 18-4 run over the next 7:04 to take a three-point lead. The lead changed hands three more times before the Saints took a 55-52 advantage with 4:30 to play. But the Jumbos closed the game with a resounding 13-0 run to escape with a comeback victory. Held scoreless in the first half, senior co-captain Kim Moynihan led the second-half charge, tallying 17 points in the period. "Being down in Emmanuel, it was great for us to show the resiliency that we do have and the fight to come back and get that win on the road," coach Carla Berube said. A week earlier, Tufts traveled to Worcester, Mass. to take part in the WPI Holiday Invitational. After coming in as the runner-up in the tournament two years ago, the Jumbos did one better this time around. Tufts captured the crown with an 81-60 victory over the host Engineers on Dec. 31 a day after topping Catholic in the opening round. Tufts was led by sophomore point guard and tournament MVP Colleen Hart, who notched 20 points and eight assists in the tournament finale. Junior forward Julia Baily was also named to the all-tournament team after averaging a double-double (15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds) over the two contests. "The WPI Tournament was great," coach Carla Berube said. "We did some really nice things in those games. It's not easy traveling back and forth to Worcester in snow storms, but we took that tournament and got two quality wins."
The holiday season brought the gift of momentum to the Jumbo hockey team. With wins over Johnson & Wales and Framingham State, the Jumbos improved their overall record to 5-3 and extended their winning streak to four games, the team's best run since a seven-game streak at the start of the 2000-01 season. In their first game of the new year, the Jumbos rolled over non-conference Johnson & Wales 8-0 at home. Freshman goalie Scott Barchard posted 28 saves for his first career shutout and his fourth win with the Jumbos. The team was led offensively by sophomore Tom Derosa, the squad's points leader. Derosa buried two goals and had two assists in the blowout. "[Derosa's] line is playing very well right now," coach Brian Murphy said. "The reason we brought Tom in is because he can score, and he's been doing that." After Derosa opened the scoring just 1:42 into the first period, the Jumbos continued to bombard Johnson & Wales' sophomore goalie JR Woodland, firing 16 shots on goal to the Wildcats' seven. At 8:42 of the first frame, Tufts freshman Evan Story scored a power-play goal, setting off a Jumbos scoring flurry. In less than three minutes, the Jumbos added two more goals during the five-minute power play with tallies from sophomore Lindsay Walker and junior Cory Korchin to take a 4-0 lead at the end of the period. Sophomore Mike Vitale and freshman Nick Resor each added a goal in the second period to build a 6-0 lead for the Jumbos. In the final period, Derosa scored his second goal of the game and team-leading seventh of the season, and senior Jared Melillo buried one more in the final minute to make the score 8-0. Barchard finished strong with 13 third-period saves to defend shutout bid. The Jumbos' 4-3 win over Framingham State on Dec. 9 was a much closer affair that saw the Jumbos barely hold on to a three-goal lead after a third-period rally by the Rams. The Jumbos entered the third period well ahead after a dominant second period that saw them score four unanswered goals following a goal by Rams senior Sean Maguire, who opened the scoring at 1:31 of the period. Although the Jumbos outshot the Rams 41-30 on the game, the Rams took control in the third period and forced junior goalie Jay McNamara to work to defend the Jumbos' lead. While the Rams beat McNamara twice in the final frame, he turned aside 11 of the 13 shots he faced for a 27-save win, his first victory of the season and his career. Contributing to Tufts' second period scoring flurry was Derosa, with his fourth and fifth goals of the season, and Resor with his fifth.
With a 4-1 loss on Saturday to St. Michael's College, the ice hockey team's first five-game win streak since the 2000-01 season came to an end. Before dropping the decision, however, the Jumbos capped off the streak with a tense 2-1 victory over perennial powerhouse Norwich University on Friday night, marking the Jumbos' sixth win of the season and equaling their win total from last year. Saturday's loss was the first suffered by the Jumbos since the end of November, when they dropped a 4-3 decision to UMass Boston before starting up the streak that began with a win in their home opener on Dec. 5. "The team finally realized we can win," freshman goaltender Scott Barchard said. "We just have to get back to the drawing board, restart and find another way to win." On Saturday, the first period was fairly even, with both teams registering 14 shots. St. Michael's capitalized first when senior captain Chris Healey scored his first of two goals at the 8:57 mark. Tufts earned multiple power play opportunities later in the period, including a five-on-three advantage for a minute and a half, but the score remained 1-0 heading into the first intermission. Most of the game's scoring action came in the second period, when the teams combined for three goals in less than six minutes. At 7:40, St. Michael's sophomore Nicholas Sheehan buried a goal on a two-on-one rush. The Jumbos were quick to respond, as sophomore Andy Davis netted his second goal of the season, with assists going to sophomore Lindsay Walker and freshman Matt Amico. It was the lone score for Tufts, despite the Jumbos' firing a total of 32 shots on goal. St. Michael's junior Kyle Marquis put the Jumbos away for good when he beat Barchard with 7:02 to go in the period. Healey added his second tally and team-leading seventh of the season to ice off the win. "We came out flat and we collapsed in the [defensive] zone," junior Doug Wilson said. "But we will use losses like this as momentum going into the rest of the season. It was not what we wanted, but it's a good lesson." Friday's game may have contributed to fatigue on Saturday, as the two-time national champion Cadets kept the Jumbos on their toes. The victory was Tufts' first over Norwich since becoming a member of the competitive NESCAC/ECAC East league in 2001, but the biggest story for the Jumbos took place between the pipes. Coming off a 28-save shutout — the first of his career — against Johnson & Wales on Jan. 6, Barchard outdid himself with a 39-save performance to silence then-No. 12 Cadets. "Scotty stood on his head all weekend," Wilson said. Thanks to Barchard and the Jumbo defense, Tufts left the ice tied at 0-0 despite being outshot 11-2 in the first period and being short-handed three times. "The team was letting me see every shot," Barchard said. "And they blocked probably 15 more shots all game." Tufts struck first when sophomore Zach Diaco scored a power-play goal at 11:56 in the second period with assists from sophomore Mike Vitale and Wilson. Less than five minutes later, the Jumbos forced a turnover at the blue line. Derosa, the team's leader in goals and points, carried the puck all the way into the Cadets' zone and fed Wilson, who buried it for his first goal of the season and what would ultimately stand as the deciding score. "Tommy gave me a good pass and Vitale and Resor set up a great screen," Wilson said. "I don't think the goalie even saw the puck." Special teams proved critical for the Jumbos, as in addition to their power-play goal, they killed off five Cadet power plays. "It starts up with the forwards and a really good forecheck," Barchard said. "Teams are not comfortable coming into our zone." "We are a lot more aggressive on the penalty kills this year," Wilson said. "We rush the defensemen. We go right at them and they mishandle the puck." With a 2-0 Tufts lead going into the third period, Barchard continued his outstanding play. The Jumbos were outshot 17-1 on the period, but Barchard was up to the task, turning aside all but one shot. With just 2:42 left in the game, Norwich made a last-minute comeback bid. Senior Rico Piatelli cut the lead to one, so with 2:42 to go, the Cadets pulled third-period replacement goaltender Ryan Klingensmith. But Tufts' defense held strong, capping off the upset win. Derosa attributes the team's recent success to great chemistry. "We've had the same lines the past six or seven games, so everyone is getting a feel for each other," he said. "I've been playing with the same two kids the past six or seven games, too, and we are really gelling as a unit." After compiling just 10 goals over four games, the Jumbos have found the back of the net 22 times in a six-game span while allowing just 11 goals. "We lost a lot of talent last year," Wilson said. "I wasn't sure what would happen this season, but the team has really clicked. We have a good group of freshmen and good chemistry. Everybody knows their role on the team and does their part." The Jumbos continue their road trip on Friday when they look to topple ECAC East competitor Skidmore (6-5), whom they haven't beaten since 2001-02.
The women's basketball team's rivalry with Bates is quickly becoming a one-sided affair. The nationally ranked No. 12 Jumbos upped their current winning streak to six games, topping the one-time powerhouse Bobcats 66-55 Saturday afternoon in Lewiston, Maine in a contest that will not factor into either team's conference record. The win, coming in Tufts' final tune-up before official NESCAC play tips off on Friday evening, capped off a perfect 4-0 winter recess slate for the Jumbos and improved the team's record to 9-1. "Any time you can get a victory against a program like Bates, it's a great win, especially up at their gym," coach Carla Berube said. "They're a young team that's getting better with every game. I don't think it was the best game we've played all season, but it was good to go up there and get a quality victory." Tufts seized control early, limiting a Bates team that entered the game shooting 43 percent from the field to 25 percent in the first half. Though senior co-captain and second-team All-NESCAC guard Val Beckwith tallied 11 first-half points, the Jumbos shut down the rest of the Bobcats' attack. Junior forward Lauren Yanofsky, the Bobcats' second-leading scorer, was limited to 1-of-6 shooting in the half, as outside of Beckwith, Bates managed just four field goals and 10 points. Tufts' stingy defensive effort early in the game was reminiscent of other recent matchups between the Bobcats and Jumbos. In the teams' previous three meetings, Tufts held Bates under 33 percent from the field each time, allowing over 50 points just once. With the Bobcats' offense stymied, the Jumbos took advantage, building up an 11-point halftime cushion thanks to an efficient offensive effort. By halftime, every Tufts starter had at least four points and the team was shooting 50 percent from the floor. Still, Bates remained close early in the second half, as Yanofsky exploded for eight points in the first 5:02 of the period and helped whittle the deficit down to as few as seven. The Jumbos did little to stifle the Bobcats' comeback, as Tufts turned the ball over 13 times in the first 25 minutes of the contest, which led to 19 Bates points. By the end of the game, the Jumbos had crossed the 20-turnover mark for the fifth time this season, something they did seven times last year. "We're not quite satisfied yet with our defensive showing," senior co-captain Kim Moynihan said. "We really are trying to ... put together a complete game of defensive intensity, and so our practice has been really defense-oriented. We're looking to come out and really control the defensive end more so than what we did at Bates." Over the final 15 minutes, the Jumbos put the game out of reach. After a layup by junior forward Julia Baily at the 14:35 mark put the Jumbos back up by 11, Tufts' lead never again shrank below double digits. With 13:20 to play, Tufts began a 9:06 stretch shooting 9-of-14 from the field, opening up as much as a 17-point lead. Four starters finished in double figures, paced by Baily's 18 points. Senior forward Katie Tausanovitch finished one rebound shy of a double-double, while sophomore point guard Colleen Hart added a strong all-around effort with 13 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals. Freshman forward Rachel Figaro was a perfect 4-for-4 off the bench and added eight rebounds. "I think what sets us apart from other teams is the depth of our offense," Moynihan said. "Any one day, there are six or seven people who can come in and score in double figures. In that sense, we're all a threat, and that's hard to defend. The other NESCAC teams, you can point out their go-to on offense or their all-star. We don't really have that, so I think that makes us hard to play against." This weekend, the Jumbos will return to Cousens Gym for the first time since Dec. 6, where they will begin the NESCAC portion of their schedule with matchups against Williams and Middlebury. "It feels like we haven't played here in forever," Berube said. "Hopefully we can have some all-around great games for some great opponents that are coming in here this weekend. I'm excited that we're 9-1 and excited that during the break we went 4-0, but we have a very tough stretch coming up with Williams and Middlebury this weekend. We have to play at our best, and hopefully we'll do that."
For most people in the greater Boston area, the past month has been defined by snowy skies, icy winds and overall frigid weather. But for the men's basketball team, things were just starting to heat up. After losing its first two games following the last day of classes on Dec. 8, including a Dec. 9 defeat at the University of New England, Tufts went on a three-game winning streak — their longest of the year — starting with a victory over Cal Lutheran on Jan. 3. Having traveled to California for the SCIAC Classic, the Jumbos dropped their first game at La Verne by a score of 85-72. Tufts rebounded the next day against the Kingsmen, recording a 74-69 victory that several Jumbos identified as their most important game over break. "It was a big team win," junior Dave Beyel said. "It wasn't any one person; everybody played well. Guys came off the bench and did their jobs. I think we came together and played together as a team. Everybody came out and did what they needed to do. Hopefully we can finish that way the rest of the year." "To come out on Saturday and beat what is a really good team — they were in the NCAA tournament last year and will be this year — was big," junior co-captain Jon Pierce said. "To come out and beat them they way we did, with everybody contributing on both ends of the floor, that set the tone for the run that we just went on." Trailing 68-66 with 3:58 remaining, the Jumbos held their opponent scoreless for the next 3:16 while going on a 6-0 run to take a lead that they would not relinquish. Four Jumbos scored in double digits, led by 17 from Pierce, as Tufts shot 60.9 percent from the field compared to 42.1 percent for the Kingsmen. On January 6th at Western New England College, Tufts recorded another impressive victory, this time by a score of 64-50. The 14-point margin was the team's third highest margin of victory of the year, and the Golden Bears' 50 points was the lowest figure allowed by the Jumbos this season. Pierce paced the team with 25 points and nine rebounds, while Beyel also contributed 15 and seven. The streak culminated in a 73-67 victory over UMass Boston at home last Thursday. The Jumbos led 70-48 with 4:25 left in the game, and while UMass went on an impressive 17-0 run to bring the score to 70-65 with 15 seconds to play, it was too little too late, as Tufts nailed final-second free throws to secure the win. Pierce did not have his best game, scoring 15 points and grabbing eight rebounds, but the Jumbos played well as a team. Beyel recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, while classmate Tom Selby pulled down 14 boards of his own, including nine on the offensive end. Senior co-captain Aaron Gallant led the team with 21 points and sophomore Matt Galvin did a good job distributing, tallying 10 assists against only three turnovers. "It felt good," Pierce said. "The three games we won in a row, we were getting stops, taking care of the basketball, and people were stepping up everywhere on offense. That's what's going to make us a good basketball team."
Before the season began, the women's track and field team expected big things from freshman jumper Nakeisha Jones. As a senior in high school, Jones took home both Massachusetts and New England titles in the triple jump. But the squad didn't expect to see Jones provisionally qualify for Nationals in her first meet of the season at Sunday's Dartmouth Relays in Hanover, N.H. "It's exceptional, really, for her to be able to do that, especially this early in the season," senior tri-captain Jackie Ferry said. "I didn't expect her to be this good so soon, so I'm really impressed … We're all really looking forward to seeing what she's going to be able to do later in the season when things really start coming together." With a leap of 11.64 meters, Jones joined sophomore distance runner Stephanie McNamara — who surpassed the provisional mark in the 5,000-meter run at the season-opening Husky Carnival at Northeastern on Dec. 6 — as the only Jumbos to have hit NCAA qualifiers thus far in the young season. Jones' jump currently ranks as the second best in Div. III this year and earned her a third place showing in the event at Dartmouth. "I was really nervous for this meet because everybody else had competed already, but this was my first meet," Jones said. "I had a really short runway and I had just come from the hurdles, so I was really tired and I didn't know what to expect — I didn't know what would happen. "My previous jumps, I was coming off way too high, so [coach Kristen Morwick] was just like, ‘speed up'," Jones continued. "For my next jump, I just tried to run as fast as I could and get the most out of my landing as well. Those were the two things that I was focusing on." Classmate and fellow jumper Dayorsha Collins also contributed to the group's successful showing on Sunday, inching closer to a provisional qualifier of her own in the high jump. After posting a 1.62-meter mark at Northeastern, Collins nailed down a 1.63 meter jump that missed the qualifier by just three quarters of an inch. Both Jones and Collins are part of a field events squad that promises to be much-improved from last year. While the team has traditionally relied on runners to bring in the bulk of its points, it was forecasted to boast a more balanced attack this year, which has already begun to manifest itself with the jumpers' early results. "I couldn't be prouder of our jumpers," junior Logan Crane said. "It's just really nice to see that there is a balance, and it's only going to get stronger. They're going to be a crucial part of our championship season." "Dayorsha and Nakeisha did exceptionally well, especially since it was the first meet back from winter break," Ferry added. "If they can continue to improve upon that and if we can get the other field events to start stepping up, we'll be a really balanced team, and that's something we haven't had in the past." After a five-week hiatus from competition, the jumpers weren't the only ones who came back showing few signs of rust, as several other members of the team qualified for New England Championships. Senior tri-captain Paula Dormon qualified in the weight throw and shot put with marks of 12.80 and 10.96 meters, respectively. Sophomore Amy Wilfert's time of 10:39.14 qualified her in the 3,000-meter run, with freshman Anya Price also qualifying right behind her at 10:52.98. Crane's 60-meter dash time of 8.08 seconds and Jones' 9.72 mark in the 60-yard hurdles both converted to qualifiers in the 55-meter lengths; and Ferry qualified in the 800 meters with a 2:23.38 to lead all Div. III opponents. "It's nice to get the mark down that you need just so you don't have to worry about it anymore," Ferry said. "You can focus on improving upon it. It sort of takes a load off." "Every week it's nice to knock off another spot, another qualifying meet," Crane said. "I always focus on qualifying for Nationals because that's most important to me, but it's nice to know that … I can just focus on one thing." The Jumbos will resume competition next Saturday when they host the Tufts Invitational, the first of three to be held at the Gantcher Center over the course of the next month.
After a slow 1-3 start to its season, the ice hockey team seems to have turned things around, stringing together two consecutive wins this past weekend -- a feat it accomplished only once last season -- defeating both New England College (NEC) and St. Anselm at home to improve to 3-3 overall.
The men's basketball team headed into Cambridge with recent history on its side, having taken its last 10 meetings with neighboring rival MIT. But on Saturday the Engineers prevailed as senior Jimmy Bartolotta dropped 31 points to secure the top spot on MIT's all-time scoring list as the Jumbos fell 79-66. The loss dropped Tufts to 4-3 while MIT improves to 6-3.
The men's track and field team kicked off its indoor season with a downsized lineup at the Husky Winter Carnival at Northeastern on Saturday, as just 28 Jumbos competed in the meet while others watched from the sidelines, including 21 returning letter-winners.
With hundreds of fans and coaches packed into MIT's gem of a pool house and screams synchronized to every breath ricocheting off the walls, the women's swimming and diving team took center stage against some of the best competitors from across the region. At the end of the two-day meet in Cambridge, the excitement over their results far exceeded the atmosphere in the pool house for the Jumbos, as Tufts rolled to a second-place finish in the seven-team MIT Invitational.
Saturday afternoon in Cousens Gym, the women's basketball team finally resembled the squad it knew it was all along.
At this weekend's MIT Invitational, the men's swimming and diving team proved that it can keep up with the likes of bigger fish.
