The women's basketball team can now breathe a little easier. The Jumbos, who began their season with a record-breaking seven straight wins, finally snapped the program's longest losing streak in five seasons on Saturday night with a much-needed win over Connecticut College.
The matchup was emotionally charged from the beginning as each team entered the day looking to move from the bottom of the NESCAC rankings with its first league win. The Jumbos were eager to move on from Friday night's loss to Wesleyan - which extended their losing streak to seven games - and stop the downward slide that has characterized the second half of their season. The Camels were still reeling from Friday's 78-39 thrashing from league rival Bates. Needless to say, the stakes were high.
And with their intensity equally heightened, the Jumbos rose to the moment, determined not to let their season continue to spiral. Tufts won the tip-off and never trailed. Despite some pesky first-half play by Connecticut, the Jumbos came alive in the second half, rolling over the Camels 84-49.
Tufts put up the first nine points of the game and held Connecticut scoreless for nearly four minutes. A quick spurt by the Camels tied the game at 12, but the Jumbos promptly answered. Back-to-back steals by junior Jessica Powers and sophomore Taryn Miller-Stevens and a series of key baskets gave the Jumbos a nine-point lead and some breathing room.
The Camels held on in the first half, shooting 51.7-percent from the floor, and the Jumbo lead was only eight at halftime. However the game would soon be out of reach for Connecticut as the Jumbos exploded in the second half. A long three-pointer from senior co-captain Erin Connolly to open the half gave the Jumbos a double-digit lead that they would not relinquish.
Tufts was led by 18 points from sophomore Valerie Krah on 6-10 shooting, one of four Jumbos in double digits. 16 points and eight rebounds from senior co-captain Alison Love, 14 points and six assists from junior Jessica Powers, and 13 from senior co-captain Erin Connolly rounded out the Jumbos' offensive core.
Turning up their trademark pressure defense, the Jumbos rattled the Camels to the tune of only 16 second-half Connecticut points on 6-29 shooting. Tufts also had a huge advantage on the boards, out-rebounding the Camels 52-32, and nabbing 18 offensive rebounds for 19 second-chance points.
"We definitely tightened up our defense," Coach Carla Berube said. "We got out on their shooters and didn't give them any easy looks. And then we ran."
And run they did. For the first time in weeks, the Jumbos played their game - high scoring, gritty defense, and lights-out shooting.
"We hit people on breaks, got in inside, and hit the offensive boards," Berube added. "We just tuned it up and turned it up."
It seemed that basketball was fun again for the Jumbos. With the bench on their feet and cheering, the sense of relief and excitement at the day's victory was tangible. The momentum carried the Jumbos down the stretch as they finished the game on a 21-1 run, holding the Camels to a single free throw in the final 7:42 of play.
Love summed up the Jumbos' second-half rout in a word.
"Defense," she said. "We were diving, hustling to loose balls, and we had contributions from everyone on the floor."
The win put the Jumbos back above .500 at 9-8, and 1-5 in NESCAC, while Connecticut dropped to 7-11 overall and remains winless in conference play at 0-6.
Saturday's inspiring and desperately-needed win capped a seven-game losing streak, the latest of which came at the hands of nationally-ranked Wesleyan on Friday. The Cardinal's superb offensive play earned them the 74-62 win and a spot in the newest top-25 rankings.
Last season, the Jumbos ended Wesleyan's 11-game winning streak with a one-point victory on a buzzer-beater from then-junior Love. This time around, Love's 12 points, along with 16 from Powers and 11 from Connolly, were not enough to stop the red-hot Cardinals.
Wesleyan's dynamic junior trio of Hannah Stubbs, Meghan Robinson, and Ashley Mastrangelo combined for 46 points, and senior Sue Frost added 16 to give the Cardinals the edge.
Despite an outstanding shooting half by the Cardinals, the lead flip-flopped throughout the first period, and the Wesleyan lead was only five at the break. The margin remained in single digits for most of the second half, and the Jumbos seemed to have a chance when a Connolly three-pointer cut the lead to two with 8:45 to play.
But the Cardinals scored nine of the next 13 points and the Jumbos never got closer than five the rest of the way.
Although the Jumbos held a small advantage in rebounds, turnovers, and steals, the Cardinals' 61.7-percent shooting performance gave Wesleyan the offensive edge it needed to win its fifth straight. The Cardinals now stand at No. 23 nationally with a 16-1 record, and 4-1 in NESCAC play.
"Wesleyan was a solid team," Love said. "But there were definitely lapses that we can't have."
The Jumbos will head to New Hampshire tomorrow to take on Keene State College, the first time the Owls have ever appeared on Tufts' schedule. Currently, Keene State is 11-14 and hovering near the middle of the Little East Conference. A win on the road would bolster the Jumbos' confidence as they return Thursday for a three-game stint at home.
"I think we can build on this [win]," Berube said after Saturday's game. "We've had some good practices and we've seen some of the younger players step up. We're going to start a new streak right now."
