As the NESCAC quarterfinals approach, the women's basketball team is looking ahead to its matchup in the 4 vs. 5 game with No. 22 Williams. Unfortunately, that means looking back over and over again at the game film of a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Ephs earlier in the year that came on a simply miraculous tip−in just before the buzzer.
"It is definitely an adding−fuel−to−the−fire kind of thing," freshman forward Ali Rocchi said. "It is something we can rally off of and get pissed about."
The Jumbos enter Saturday's game knowing that a win is the only way to guarantee that their season goes on. While Tufts sits in a decent position to secure an at−large bid to the NCAA tournament at No. 8 in the regional rankings, it is far from a sure thing. A win at Williams would go a long way toward solidifying the possibility.
"Right now, we are taking it one game at a time," junior guard Tiffany Kornegay said. "But we do realize that losing in this game could be the end of our season, which is plenty of motivation. Also, we want to do it for the seniors. This is the end of their career, so we want to give it all we've got."
Williams has gotten the better of the Jumbos in recent years, taking three of the last four matchups. If Tufts hopes to turn the tide, they could very much use a repeat performance from Rocchi. Though she has struggled a bit of late, Rocchi had no such problems against the Ephs back in January, totaling 13 points and 8 rebounds on 6−of−9 shooting.
"The girl I had on me [senior Chessie Jackson] let me do a lot [of things] that I like to do," Rocchi said. "I was able to hang out high−post, which got me into a groove. They also allowed me to get in there and crash the boards."
Yet while the Jumbos need to establish themselves in the post, they also need to prevent Williams from doing the same. Williams senior Taylor Shea and sophomores Danny Reiner and Clair Baecher — all of whom stand at six feet or more — combined for 40 points on 18−of−28 shooting in the first meeting, including Reiner's game−winning tip−in. The Jumbos will need to rely on help defense to counter Williams' size, a risky prospect with sophomore guard Grace Rehnquist — a 40 percent shooter from long−range — waiting for open−outlet passes.
"Coach [Carla Berube] wants us to help in and pound the forwards when the ball is put inside," Kornegay said. "We just need to do a better job of scrambling out to the shooters so they don't get open looks. Most importantly, we need to communicate."
The Jumbos can also counteract the Ephs' height with speed, turning their NESCAC leading +8.65 turnover margin into points on the fast break. This will make it harder for Williams to add to the 5.5 blocks it averages per game.
"We are definitely faster than them, so I think that is going to be a huge part of our game, to just get it and go and not settle for the set offense," Kornegay said.
The first matchup between the two teams was a defensive standoff, ending with the underwhelming score of 61−59. But one difference for Tufts is the emergence of sophomore forward Collier Clegg, the reigning NESCAC player of the week, who played just 13 minutes and had two points in that game, but is averaging 19.7 points per game during the team's three−game winning streak. Clegg may just be the injection of offense the Jumbos need to get ahead of the Ephs.
Tufts can also look forward to a much healthier game from senior guard Colleen Hart, who finally looked more like herself Monday against Endicott, leading the team with 16 points. Hart hit two 3−pointers in the final minute of regulation to draw even with Williams in their last meeting, and will likely be just as important down the stretch on Saturday.
If the game does go down to the wire as the teams' earlier tilt did, things could get ugly on both sides of the ball, with the NESCAC's two worst free−throw shooting teams out on the court. The team that can get the mental edge at the line will have a considerable advantage in the game.
"It's really all mental," Kornegay said. "We need to have the confidence at the line that we can make the free throw, and if we do miss one, we need to be able to blow it off and make sure we make the second one. Once we start making a couple in a row, as a team we build confidence."
