The women's basketball team stayed unbeaten Tuesday night, jumping out to an early lead en route to a dominating 74-45 victory Salem State.
With Tuesday's win, Tufts improved to 5-0 on the season, and the team's stifling defense - a trademark of coach Carla Berube's system - was once again the key to the squad's success. Tufts is holding opponents to under 40 points per game on just 29.0 percent shooting from the field on the season, and a plus-six turnover margin per game has also allowed the Jumbos to get out in transition for easy fast-break opportunities.
And on Tuesday, the Jumbos were in top form on the offensive end as well, racking up a season-high 74 points on 40.9 percent shooting from the field. Sophomore guards Kelsey Morehead and Hannah Foley sank a trio of three-pointers each, and Tufts as a team shot an impressive 46.7 percent from beyond the arc.
The Jumbos' domination on the boards was the other big story of the game. Tufts easily won the battle of the glass over Salem State, with 51 rebounds to Salem State's 28, including 18 offensive rebounds. Graduate co-captain forward Kate Barnosky and sophomore forward Hayley Kanner each recorded double-doubles. According to Morehead, the increased offensive output is a result of simply having more time getting adjusted to each other.
"I think we will become [even] more comfortable reading one another offensively with more time," she said.
Even as Tufts was hitting on all cylinders Tuesday night, the Lady Vikings still managed to make a game of it for a majority of the first half. After scoring the game's first nine points, the Jumbos got a bit complacent on the defensive end, allowing Salem to creep back to within three nine minutes into the game.
But then, Tufts went on a 16-5 run to close out the half, aided by critical play off the bench from junior guard Liz Moynihan, who tallied six points in the closing minutes of the half.
The Lady Vikings, meanwhile, lost their offensive rhythm, and only got consistent production from sophomore guard Rachel Carter, who finished the game with 15 points and two assists. Carter, however, also finished with a game-high six turnovers, and Salem State found it increasingly difficult to cope with Tufts' defensive pressure as the game went on.
The Jumbos put the game away for good in the first few minutes of the second half, opening the period on a 23-6 run to grab a 60-27 lead, their largest of the game.
The teams traded baskets the rest of the way, with the Jumbos able to give some minutes to their bench players as they scored another comfortable non-conference victory.
"Every game is very important, but it's definitely nice to play some non-conference teams before the NESCAC games really start up," freshman guard Michelle Wu said.
Perhaps more impressive than their early-season record is the manner in which the Jumbos are doing away with their opponents. They have won four of their first five games by double-digit margins, and are outscoring opponents by 21 points per game.
"Our coaching staff does a great job of identifying areas of weakness that we need to work on," Wu said. "They push us to get better everyday."
Tufts will next see action on Saturday, when they host Regis College, a squad that is 1-1 but has historically given the Jumbos some problems and is known for its hard, aggressive play.
"I think this team has very high potential if we keep working hard and stay focused," Wu said. "It would be awesome to make it to the NCAA tournament."
