Undefeated women's basketball advances to NESCAC semifinals

The No. 1 women’s basketball team continued its undefeated season after beating Wesleyan 58–48 in the NESCAC tournament quarterfinals on Saturday. As the top seed, the Jumbos are set to host both semifinal games on Saturday and the finals on Sunday.

Although the score remained close, the game consisted of only two ties and three lead changes, with the Jumbos finding their biggest lead with just under nine minutes left in the game. Tufts showed strong defense throughout the game, holding Wesleyan to under 50 points.

“Defensively, we contained them really well, held their best players to a minimum and made them uncomfortable,” junior guard/forward Emily Briggs said.

Focusing on defense, which has been the bread and butter for the team this season, was a point of emphasis for the Jumbos in the practices leading up to the game.

“We had a great defensive game, great communication and that was something we worked on throughout the week," coach Jill Pace said. "It was nice to see that pay off."

Senior guard/forward and co-captain Erica DeCandido put up a game-high 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Jumbos. Sophomore guard Molly Ryan added 13 points, while senior guard Sadie Otley put up 10. Although it was one of their lower-scoring games, the Jumbos were able to maintain their lead and stay ahead toward the end of the game, even when the Cardinals came within striking distance in the final minutes of the game.

“It was definitely a slower game offensively, so that was kind of tough," Briggs said. "But I think that we made big shots in big moments and big plays in big moments to extend the lead."

The Jumbos made up for the slow offense by holding strong on their defense throughout the entire four quarters.

“You can tell by the score that our defensive effort was there, which is always great, especially when some shots aren't falling — you can always rely on your defense,” Pace said.

This loss ends Wesleyan’s NESCAC run as the bottom seed in the bracket. Sophomore guard Maddie Clark led the Cardinals with 16 points, while sophomore guard Marina Petruzzi added 12 points and senior guard and co-captain Ava Tompkins grabbed 11 rebounds.

Tufts and Wesleyan last met during the regular season on Jan. 10. The Jumbos won the matchup 78–60.

“It was our first NESCAC game, and we didn’t play great defense last time,” Briggs said about the last game against Wesleyan. “That was our main focus because we hadn’t really had a solid defensive game in a few games, so this was definitely a game where we improved a ton.”

This focus on defense proved successful, as Tufts improved from allowing 60 points to only 48, as well as limiting the Cardinals' sophomore guard and co-captain Caleigh Ryan to only six points. Ryan has been averaging 13.2 points per game for the Cardinals and put up 11 in their last matchup against the Jumbos.

“We really focused on defense and we held them today to our goal of points, which was really awesome, so it was nice to see all the hard work in practice pay off,” Briggs said. “Obviously, we always focus on offense too, but defense is really what we pride ourselves in.”

After this win, Tufts will host fourth seed Williams in the semifinals on Saturday at 12 p.m. The Ephs are a familiar foe for the Jumbos, as the teams just recently squared off in the last game of regular season play. The Jumbos came out on top, winning by a margin of 76–60 and sealing off their first perfect season in program history.

Amherst and Bowdoin will also travel to Cousens Gym and play at 2 p.m. on Saturday for the other semifinal matchup. The winner of each game plays again on Sunday in the NESCAC finals. The men's team, also the No. 1 seed, will host both semifinals games of its tournament on Saturday, too.

“I'm just excited for both of our programs and happy for our team that we can be in Cousens, hoping that we get a great atmosphere there to cheer us on,” Pace said.

Last season, Tufts upset Amherst 47–46 in the NESCAC semifinals as well as Bowdoin 75–69 in the finals  to win the NESCAC championship. The Jumbos went on to beat the Polar Bears this season 97–88 and the Mammoths 48–46 in overtime after losing to both teams last year during regular season play.

“I'm looking forward to having fun. I think this is the best time of the year, when we get to play against really good teams and play for championships," Briggs said. “Obviously, we are taking it one game at a time, but I'm just looking forward to playing really hard. It’s really fun when we play as a team and hopefully [get] the outcome we want.”