Women's Basketball | Tufts secures first ever NESCAC title

In a season filled with accomplishments, the women's basketball team reached its most impressive mileston yet Sunday by capturing the program's first ever NESCAC title and securing a perfect season in con- ference play with its 62-46 victory over second-seeded Amherst.
Before advancing to Sunday's finals, Tufts first had to take care of business on Saturday in the semifinal game against a Trinity squad that had won six straight games. From the opening tip, the Bantams proved the game would be a fight to the finish.
Tied at four points early in the game, Tufts went ahead 8-4 on back-to-back buckets from juniors Hannah Foley and Hayley Kanner. The teams traded baskets for much of the opening frame, with nei- ther squad able to assert any type of control over the contest. Freshman center Michela North's traditional three-point play with 9:13 remaining in the half gave the Jumbos a 21-15 edge, their largest lead of the half.
But every time it looked like Tufts might pull away, Trinity had an answer. The Bantams orchestrated a 10-4 run of their own to knot the game at 25-25 with 4:22 left. The Jumbos then finished the half on a 6-2 spurt to head into the break with a slim 31-27 lead.
Tufts struggled from beyond the arc all afternoon, shooting a dismal 0-11 from distance in the first half, while hitting only 2-8 in the second half. Tufts' poor 3-point shooting kept Trinity in the game, but Tufts' depth ultimately proved too much to handle.
Desperately holding on to a tight 40-38 lead with 12:53 left, Tufts went on a 12-3 run over the next 8:49, sparked by five criti- cal points from sophomore reserve guard Emma Roberson. The short burst extend- ed the Jumbos' lead to eleven points and essentially put the game out of reach. Tufts finished the game strong on the defensive end and held off Trinity to secure a 57-47 victory, ensuring that Tufts would host another game on Sunday.
The team had little time to revel in Saturday's victory before taking the floor Sunday against second-seeded Amherst in front of a packed house at Cousens Gym, with the NESCAC title on the line.
"It was amazing playing in front of our fans," senior forward Ali Rocchi said. "It's definitely one of the perks of hosting the NESCAC tournament. Our fans are always extremely supportive and fun to play in front of."
The Jumbos had hosted the Lord Jeffs back on Jan. 17, a contest that saw the Jumbos earn a hard-fought 63-65 victory.
"I think getting to play them on our home court earlier in the year and having that win under our belt definitely gave us confidence that we could beat them," junior point guard Kelsey Morehead said.
"It was a big win for us, but that was the middle of the season and we knew Amherst would be strong now," Rocchi added. "We scouted them in the little time we had and made sure to pay attention to the different personnel and little details for today's game."
On Sunday, Amherst jumped out to an
early 5-0 lead, silencing the home crowd in the early going. Looking for an offensive spark, head coach Carla Berube decided to put North in the game earlier than usual, and the move paid quick dividends. North finished with 14 rebounds and 10 points, including a layup that capped an 8-3 run and knotted the game at eight.
The teams then traded baskets before Tufts, sparked by a 3-pointer and pair of free throws from Kanner, rallied off nine straight points to pull ahead 19-10 and take control of the game. The Jumbos finished the half shooting a lowly 29 percent from the field, but relied on their energy and defensive intensity to hold on to a 29-22 advantage at intermission.
"Honestly, you don't really feel fatigue in the game because there's so much adrenaline, you have the crowds behind you and you're just in the moment," said Morehead, who played all 40 minutes of Sunday's contest.
The Lord Jeffs hung around for much of the second half, but never got over the hump, clawing within eight twice before the Jumbos pulled ahead by double- digits again.
Kanner led the Jumbos with a game-high 21 points, while Morehead, North and senior tri-captain Liz Moynihan each pitched in with ten each. But as has been the story for most of the season, the Jumbos' defense stole the show. Tufts held Amherst to 29 percent shooting from the field and outrebounded the visitors by four.
Sunday's contest was retribution for Tufts' failures in its previous two conference final showdowns against Amherst in 2012 and 2008. With the NESCAC title under their belts, the Jumbos will now turn their attention to the NCAA tournament. Expectations are high.
"We're still soaking in today's win, but we know what's ahead," Rocchi said. "I think it's exciting to have an automatic NCAA berth. At this point, we have a day off but we're right back at it on Tuesday with practice. We have a very talented group of girls, and we're excited by the opportunities we've had and will continue to have this postseason."