Coming off of an incredible week of competitive conference play and a successful Senior Day, Tufts was looking strong going into this past weekend’s games against Amherst College and Hamilton College. However, the Jumbos seemed to fall short, resulting in them going down to fourth in the NESCAC rankings with a 5–4 conference record and 14–8 overall.
“We knew our recent success was a positive sign, but we didn’t want to let it distract us from the work still ahead,” sophomore guard Stella Galanes wrote in an email to the Daily. “Heading into the weekend, our focus was on playing our style of basketball and staying locked in on the task at hand.”
Unfortunately for the team, their success streak was cut short on Friday night at Amherst’s LeFrak Gymnasium with a 66–59 decision. Tufts seemed to be off to a solid start at the beginning of the game by scoring first; however, this 2–0 lead was the only lead it saw for the night. The first frame finished with a mere 9 points for Tufts, while Amherst had 17. The Jumbos picked up their energy in the second quarter, matching the Mammoths’ 20 points. By the end of the first half, Tufts was only trailing by a manageable 8 points with a score of 37–29.
The Jumbos managed to restrain the Mammoths’ offense during the second half, holding them to 14 and 15 points in the third and fourth quarters, respectively. However, the Mammoths never relinquished their lead. In the fourth quarter, Tufts finally outscored Amherst 19–15. Despite this, the Mammoths saw their biggest lead in the fourth quarter with a 13 point differential with nine minutes and 35 seconds remaining in the game.
The deciding factor of the game was Amherst’s shooting accuracy, making 22 of 46 field goals for a percentage of 47.8. Meanwhile, Tufts went 24–64 for 37.5%. The Jumbos had the better accuracy at the charity stripe, making five of six field goals; however, the Mammoths had more opportunities going 18–23.
Senior guard Sofia Gonzalez led the Jumbos with 16 points and six rebounds while Galanes added 14 points. First-year guard Monet Witherspoon contributed 10 points and two steals. Amherst was led by guard Laura Mendell who had 22 points.
Traveling to Clinton, N.Y. the next day to face Hamilton, the team was hoping for a better result. “After Amherst, we were looking to bounce back and come out stronger on the road, especially on the defensive side,” Galanes wrote.
The team took a slim 16–14 lead in the first stanza; however, the second frame saw only 7 points for the Jumbos, while the Continentals took off for a devastating 23 points. After tying the game a couple times, Hamilton took the lead, leaving Tufts unable to recover from the effects of the second quarter.
The game ended 72–54, adding a fourth conference loss to the Jumbos’ conference record.
Although Tufts had shot 30.1% in field goals and 18.5% from 3-point territory, Witherspoon shined for the Jumbos. Witherspoon tied her career-high for a game-high of 23 points while also picking up four rebounds. The first-year was also the only Jumbo to make a trip to the line, making all five free throws.
Gonzalez contributed 9 points, two steals and five rebounds. Senior forward Caitlyn O’Boyle led the team in rebounds, picking up nine, while also adding 6 points. Galanes had 5 points and four rebounds.
“The NESCAC is a competitive league, and our focus moving forward is playing together and making the most of our team’s strengths,” Galanes wrote. “We know we’re at our best when we play as a unit, so that will be our focus as we bounce back and prepare for the week ahead.”
The Jumbos have only two remaining regular season games which will be wrapped up on the road in the upcoming week. “We’re still confident in our ability, and if we stick to playing Tufts basketball, especially on the defensive side, we believe we can finish the season strong,” Galanes added.
Hopefully, the team can regain their previous momentum before entering the conference playoffs. Tufts will face Smith College on Tuesday before facing their final NESCAC opponent, Bates College, on Sunday, Feb. 16.
