After a hard-fought loss to Bowdoin, the eventual NESCAC winner in last season’s conference quarterfinals, Tufts began this year’s preseason with an away win against Brandeis. A dominant second-quarter display proved key in securing victory in an otherwise tightly contested matchup.
The Jumbos outscored the Judges in the second and fourth quarters 18–10 and 21–20 respectively to secure a 67–61 win. A formidable bench contribution, capitalization of turnover points and fast breaks gave Tufts the edge and extended its win streak over Brandeis to 15. The 2023 NESCAC champions had 23 points off turnovers, 16 off fast-breaks and 18 bench points whereas Brandeis had 8, 8 and 11 respectively, indicative of the diverse scoring capabilities of Coach Jill Pace’s team.
Junior forward Sarah Crossett led the scoring charts with an impressive 16 points and an incredible defensive display of five rebounds and two steals. Crossett was a perfect 6–6 from the free-throw line and shot 45% from the field. Having been sidelined with injury for the first seven games last season, Crossett was determined to help the team.
In an email to the Daily, Crossett emphasized her pride in the team’s performance as well as senior guard Annika Decker’s spirited return from injury.
“I could not be more proud of our team’s performance yesterday, especially considering it was our first game against a team with several games under their belt. It is always amazing to play alongside Annika … I am blown away by her work ethic throughout these past nine months and am so impressed with her performance yesterday. Her leadership and mentality going into this season have been phenomenal and I could not be more excited to have her back.”
Another anchoring performance came from senior guard Sofia Gonzalez. Gonzalez’s shooting prowess was on show again as she scored 13 points, including 9 from behind the arc, while registering two assists, one block and one steal. Gonzalez’s team-high 31 minutes were indicative of her stamina and key role on this year’s side as the shooting specialist approaches the 650-point mark for the Jumbos.
Gonzalez reflected on the team’s performance at the Red Auerbach Arena, writing in an email to the Daily, “We have been working really hard all of the preseason, and while of course, we have things to work on, we displayed a lot of growth since practice 1 … This game showed a lot about our resilience and what happens in moments of pressure and considering it's only game one, that says a lot.”
As a senior with 67 appearances, Gonzalez shared her thoughts on her role going forward.
“I hope my role on the team this year is to be a leader on the court and show my game through actions, not words. … it is really cool to see the evolution I have had and the guidance I have received from my teammates and Coach Pace to get to this point in my career.” Gonzalez wrote.
The senior guard has also been fine-tuning a few technical parts of her game that will further strengthen her offensive abilities and maximize her shooting opportunities.
“One big thing for me is getting to the rim and pulling up in the mid-range. Being a shooter, it is sometimes predictable to have that part of your game but this summer and preseason, I have been working a lot on getting downhill and being able to finish or dish for a good [pass] to the post or wing.”
Pace’s talented guards proved critical to regaining the second-quarter lead. Decker shot 83% from the field, racking up 14 points, one block and one assist. Decker also led the team with five steals, highlighting her tenacity on both ends of the floor. With over 200 career assists, Decker’s creative playmaking complements her scoring ability, which closed out the second quarter with an assist and smooth jumper, putting the Jumbos up 35–29.
Decker shared her hopes for the season and emotions after returning from an ACL injury.
“[Our] hopes are to obviously win the NESCAC and win a national championship, but the first thing is taking each game one at a time and putting all of our focus there. Individually just to remain consistent throughout the year and be the [teammate] my teammates need me to be!” Decker wrote in an email to the Daily. “I’m just excited to come back on the court after coming back from injury, I want to show not only that [I’m] back but I’m better!”
Now in the midst of a five-game homestand, spirits are high for this talented Tufts group as they look to claim another NESCAC title and push for national success.
