After earning their first NESCAC wins with last weekend’s victories against Williams College and Middlebury College, women’s basketball traveled to New London to face Connecticut College for their fifth consecutive conference game.
“Our team had (and still has) a relentless mentality this past weekend — we aimed to keep our foot on the gas,” senior guard Sofia Gonzalez wrote in an email to the Daily.
The Jumbos did just that by shooting 40.4% in field goals which was complimented by a 84.2% free throw percentage. Gonzalez commanded the court, contributing a game-high of 20 of the team’s 59 points along with seven steals and four rebounds. The seven steals by Gonzalez tied for the most in a NESCAC game this season. The game finished at 59–43 as Tufts secured the win during the final quarter.
The Camels went into the game with a 10–8 record, 0–4 in the conference. The team’s shooting percentage was stifled by the Jumbos’ defensive ability resulting in them shooting 29.2% in field goals, going 14–48.
Both teams scored low in the first quarter with only seven points made for each of the teams. However, both squads picked it up in the next quarter as the Jumbos outscored the Camels 19–16.
Although the lead changed four times during the quarter, senior forward Caitlyn O’Boyle put up back-to-back layups to give Tufts the lead going into halftime. Tufts was able to maintain this lead for the remainder of the game despite Connecticut working to tie the game three times during the third quarter. The third frame was the only time that the Camels outscored the Jumbos, having 16 points and allowing Tufts to score 15.
Gonzalez wrote that there has been a renewed focus on “the little things” in practice, saying, “Whether that be uplifting teammates, running extra sprints, or being honed in on scout, there is a collective renewed focus on staying locked in always. I think these small details have carried themselves over into the game.”
The fourth and final quarter was a perfect display on unrelenting defense and punishing offense. Going into the fourth quarter, the Jumbos were up only by two points; however, they were able to score 18 points to widen the lead while simultaneously holding the Camels to a mere four points. Tufts achieved their biggest lead of the game with two minutes and 48 seconds remaining in the game with an 18 point differential.
In this final frame, Connecticut College had a field goal shooting percentage of 9.09, going 1–11. Gonzalez contributed nine of the 18 points in the quarter. “In the fourth quarter, we locked in, stepped up, and did the work to finish strong and put them away for good,” Gonzalez wrote.
Throughout the game, Tufts showcased their tenacious defence and scored 26 points off of turnovers. Freshman guard Monet Witherspoon added 11 points, two steals and two assists. Additionally, sophomore guard Stella Galanes, a recently added member of the starting line up, put up 10 points and two steals. Caitlyn O’Boyle dominated the glass with 15 rebounds while also putting up 4 points. Graduate student guard Hannah Kelly also added seven points to the win.
Camel’s guard Mia Xerras led the Camels with a team-high of 12 points and collected two rebounds. Forward Hayle Thompson scored 9 points and added five rebounds, while forward Addi Hunter led with nine rebounds and contributed 4 points.
Tufts improves to 12–6 overall and 3–2 in the conference, tying their number of conference wins from last year’s 3–7 record.
“I think our win against Conn this past weekend was a great feat, however, we know our work is not done. The win is a testament to our ability to overcome adversity and push through to find success, and we need to keep building on this momentum,” Gonzalez wrote. “I think this gritty mentality of trusting each other and working together led us to be successful against our past two NESCAC opponents, and we plan to continue that mindset going forward into next weekend.”
The team will kick off next weekend’s play by hosting Wesleyan University on Friday, continuing their series of NESCAC battles. Wesleyan currently holds a 7–11 record, and a 1–4 conference record.
Then on Saturday, the team will start February play against Trinity College to celebrate and honor the seniors and their dedication to the team. Trinity has a 15–4 record, 4–1 in the conference ranking them No. 3 in the NESCAC.
