Men’s basketball traveled to New York University for the opening rounds of the NCAA Division III Tournament and notched two big wins in the Big Apple. The postseason environment did not disappoint. Lead changes, lockdown defense, clutch 3-pointers and nail-biter victories secured the Jumbos a spot in the Sweet Sixteen.
Men’s basketball came up short in a back-and-forth battle against the Trinity College Bantams in the semifinal game of the NESCAC tournament, but the team’s strong offensive performance is building momentum as NCAA tournament play approaches. Tufts entered the contest as the No. 4 seed in the conference, primed to face off against the No. 2 seed Trinity in a rematch of Tufts’ competitive Senior Day game that ended in a close loss. Although the Tufts defense managed to limit Trinity’s leading scorer — forward/center Ben Callahan-Gold — to only 4 points, a late 12–2 run by the Bantams sent them to the conference championship.
The men’s basketball team braved the cold for a pair of conference matchups against the Colby College Mules and Bowdoin College Polar Bears last weekend. They fell by a single bucket to the Mules, but the next day they then iced out the Polar Bears to end the trip with a win.
Men’s basketball returned to Cousens Gymnasium in triumphant fashion on Saturday, notching a commanding win in their third consecutive conference matchup. Coming off of a disappointing road stint that saw two losses in the opening games of NESCAC play, the Tufts Jumbos burst onto their home court reinvigorated and proceeded to flatten the Bates Bobcats in front of a robust crowd of spectators.
Tufts field hockey burst onto Ounjian Field in commanding fashion on Nov. 8 following disappointment in the NESCAC tournament. Tufts opened NCAA play with a 5–0 victory over Southern Maine. After a tough overtime loss to the Mammoths in the first round of the conference tournament, gratitude for the chance to continue their season inspired the Jumbos’ dominant response. Senior co-captain Andrea DelGiudice and junior Kylie Rosenquest combined for four goals, and senior Rachel Scrivanich buried another in the net on a first-quarter corner. Sophomore Gabby Sousa notched two assists, and the Jumbos finished with a 27–2 advantage in shots on goal.
Following their first loss of the season to the No. 2 ranked, Babson, Tufts field hockey rebounded with a 2–0 victory over Colby on Saturday, completing a quest for revenge sparked in the fall of 2022. In last October’s matchup against the Colby Mules, the Jumbos lost 2–1 on home turf at Ounjian Field, so they entered this past weekend’s contest hoping to set the record straight and remain undefeated in NESCAC play.
Field hockey battled under Friday night lights in a display of gritty defense and overtime heroics as Tufts edged out Amherst 2–1 for their fourth straight victory. The game was largely a war of attrition, with zeroes lighting up the scoreboard for three quarters. Amherst broke through first when junior forward Sam Maynard scored in the 52nd minute to put the Mammoths ahead 1–0. The clock was winding down, along with the Jumbos’ hope to preserve their undefeated record, until sophomore forward Hannah Biccard and junior forward Kylie Rosenquest connected on a penalty corner. Biccard swiftly handled a rebound off of a shot by senior midfielder and co-captain Andrea DelGiudice and redirected to Rosenquest who buried it to tie the game.
In the opening weekend of NCAA Tournament play, the Jumbos established themselves as a force to be reckoned with on the national stage through dominant performances on their home court. Fresh off of a NESCAC Championship, Tufts continued its momentum against the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and secured a commanding 72–57 victory to kick off its postseason campaign. A huge 11–0 run in the second quarter gave the Jumbos a comfortable lead that they would never relinquish, and contributions from throughout the roster displayed the wealth of talent that resides in Cousens Gymnasium.
Junior forward Maggie Russell cemented herself as one of the all-time greats of Tufts women’s basketball, scoring 40 points in the team’s 75–61 victory over Bowdoin in the first round of NESCAC tournament play. The Jumbos faced off against the Polar Bears in Cousens Gymnasium for their second matchup of the year, and after a tight first half, the Tufts offense stepped on the gas pedal and never let up. Russell’s 40-piece topped her previous career high of 33 points, which she set against Bates earlier this season, and she now stands in second place in school history for most points in a single game, a record set by Ellie Strobel’s 44 points in 1994.
Despite record-low temperatures outside, Tufts women’s basketball stayed hot on the courts in Maine, securing two road victories over conference opponents Colby and Bowdoin. The Jumbos returned from the trip on a four-game winning streak, building crucial momentum as the end of regular season approaches and they gear up for NESCAC tournament play.
