The women's basketball team will kick off the 2007-08 campaign this weekend, when it travels to Beverly, Mass. and plays two games in Endicott College Tip-Off Tournament. The contests will mark the first of 12 consecutive out-of-conference games the team will participate in to start the season before NESCAC competition begins Jan. 18.
The Jumbos will participate in a four-team field that includes Rhode Island College, Wilkes, and host Endicott. Tufts' first-round matchup will take place tonight against the Anchorwomen, a squad that finished 17-12 last season, including 1-1 against NESCAC teams.
With a victory, the Jumbos will play the winner of the Endicott-Wilkes game, while a loss would send the squad to the consolation bracket for the second year in a row. Last year, Tufts was upset in its first game of the season, dropping a 59-57 decision to Suffolk after shooting just 35.8 percent from the field. The Jumbos know from last year's experience not to take these games too lightly.
"Every game is very important," coach Carla Berube said. "Starting off on the right foot in tomorrow's game is very important. It'll serve as a measuring stick of where we'll need to be by January when we start our NESCAC games."
-by Sapna Bansil and Rachel Dolin
