Coming off a 48-31 loss against No. 1 Amherst last Saturday, the women's basketball team would like nothing more than to get back on the court and reaffirm its elite status in the NESCAC.
After a five-day hiatus, the Jumbos will get their chance tonight when they travel to Hamilton College to finish up their regular season against the 8-13 Continentals. With a win, they would secure the No. 2 seed in the NESCAC tournament.
The matchup is the first between Tufts and Hamilton this year, but all signs suggest the Jumbos will have the upper hand. Hamilton enters the game with a 1-7 mark in conference play. The Jumbos, meanwhile, boast a 7-2 record against NESCAC opponents, with one of those losses coming against Amherst and the other in a buzzer-beater against Bowdoin on Jan. 13. Tufts also has a size advantage over its Hamilton counterparts at nearly every position.
"We definitely want to go into the postseason with a win," said freshman forward Hayley Kanner, who leads the NESCAC with 44 blocks. "It would be great to have the momentum continuing with us next week to have us feeling good as we head into the NESCACtournament."
After failing to get much done on the offensive end against Amherst on Saturday, the Jumbos hope to get back to basics tonight: rebounding, pushing the ball up the floor and creating fast break opportunities.
Throughout the season, this formula has been a recipe for success for the Jumbos, whose athletic guard play has led them to an 18-5 overall record.
"I think our key to success this year has been the energy and effort we put into every game and practice," Kanner said. "If we continue to get after it every day, push each other and play with a chip on our shoulder we will continue moving forward."
Tufts has played stifling defense all season long, and on nights when the shots weren't falling, the Jumbos have won by staying true to their defense-first mentality. They rank second in the NESCAC in points allowed, with opponents averaging just 45.8 points against them, whereas Hamilton allows an average of 52.
"Strong defense brings energy and intensity to the floor and fuels our offense as well," sophomore guard Caitlin McClure said.
"Our focus going forward is most importantly to stay strong defensively but also to finish plays. We have had some trouble scoring in the past few games, so we will be focusing on the details of our offenses to execute and put the ball in the basket," McLure added.
Eventually, the Jumbos would love to get another crack at a defending national champion Amherst squad that has yet to lose this season.
"If we are given another shot at Amherst, I think it would be a completely different game," Kanner said. "Unfortunately we came out flat and dug ourselves into a hole in the first half of that game, but once we calmed down I think we showed we can play with their team."
But the team knows that now is not the time for reflection.
"This weekend's game is especially important because we need the win to ensure a second-place seed in the NESCAC tournament," McClure said. "It's a great opportunity to be in control of our own destiny and feel good going forward."
After tonight's game, the Jumbos will have eight days to prepare for their NESCAC quarterfinal matchup, which they will host at Cousens Gym. They will learn their opponent tomorrow, when pairings are announced.
