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The Tufts Daily
Where you read it first | Thursday, March 28, 2024

Tufts clinches NESCAC regular season title with win over undefeated Amherst

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Tufts tri-captain and guard Emma Roberson (LA'16) looks for a teammate to pass to on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016.

The Amherst women's basketball team had won 121 consecutive games at home when they went into last Saturday's game against the visiting Tufts team. The Purple and White, ranked No. 2 in the country and undefeated thus far on the season, had not lost at home since 2009. With eight more wins in a row, Amherst would have passed the University of Kentucky men's program for the longest home winning streak across all divisions and leagues of NCAA basketball. The No. 8 Tufts Jumbos, however, looking for their third consecutive NESCAC championship, had other plans.

In a thriller that came to down to the very last buzzer of regulation, Tufts edged out Amherst 52-51 at LeFrak Gymnasium to remain undefeated in NESCAC play and clinch home court advantage throughout the NESCAC tournament.

"Going into the game, Amherst has the 120-home-game winning streak so obviously that was in our minds," senior tri-captain Emma Roberson said. "But what coach really emphasized was that we were playing for home court advantage to kind of fuel the fire going into the game."

The victory against Amherst, undoubtedly Tufts' biggest of the season so far, came one night after Tufts traveled to Hartford, CT and bested NESCAC basement dweller Trinity College by a score of 61-38. The Jumbos are currently 20-2 overall and 9-0 in conference play.

From the outset of Saturday's game, it was clear that Tufts and Amherst would be battling down to the final seconds. Amherst started hot with a 6-0 lead over the game's first four minutes, but Tufts quickly closed the gap. No team would lead by more than eight points throughout the game.

Baskets from sophomore Melissa Baptista, junior Michela North, Roberson and senior Michelle Wu pushed the game to a 10-10 tie with around two minutes to play in the quarter. Junior Katy Hicks converted a layup to give Tufts its first lead of the game. By the end of the first period, Amherst, led by layups from sophomore Hannah Hackley and junior Jaimie Renner, had regained a 14-12 lead.

Among the keys to the Jumbos' victory was their relentless hustle and attention on defense. Tufts forced multiple turnovers during Amherst possessions, pressuring Amherst into shot clock violations and bad passes. The Jumbos were also quick to make shifts and adjust to ball screens on defense, staying active and preventing easy buckets.

Under the basket, the two teams were about even with a slight 38-37 advantage to the Jumbos. On offense, however, Tufts pulled down 12 rebounds for second-chance opportunities compared to just five offensive rebounds for Amherst. The extra effort, especially off of missed free throws later in the game, made the difference for Tufts.

"We always talk about how important the little details are," Wu said. "Getting after 50-50 balls and always boxing out and rotating on defense. I think, with such a close game, all of the little things are so important. We had a few huge offensive rebounds off of free throw attempts that really helped us with extra possessions, and we [caused] a few shot clock violations that were huge with the momentum of the game."

In the second quarter, Tufts took off on a 9-1 run capped by a 3-pointer from senior Maura Folliard. Sisters Meredith and Ali Doswell of Amherst, both juniors, hit a pair of free throws and a layup, respectively, to tie the game at 21. But Roberson hit a clutch jumper with just a few seconds left on the clock before halftime to give the Jumbos the lead at intermission.

Another advantage that contributed to Tufts' win was the team's ability to compete all the way down the bench. Nine players took the court over the course of the game for Tufts, and substitutes such as Wu, Folliard, Hicks and senior Nicole Brooks gave the starters time to rest or collect themselves in the midst of foul trouble, while still pushing Amherst on both ends of the court.

"Coach always talks about how important every single person on the team is, one through 14, and I think at any time anyone on the team can step up and make a huge difference in the game," Wu said. "Amherst only played around six or seven people, and I think that for 40 minutes of the game it's really tiring for six people to play for the whole game, so it really helps us from that standpoint."

In the second half, Amherst pulled ahead 36-28 after a 9-0 run, but four foul shots from Baptista and one from North pulled Tufts within four points going into the fourth quarter. In the final period, Tufts and Amherst continued to trade baskets until the Jumbos pulled ahead and held on for the win. Ali Doswell knocked down a jumper, but a 3-pointer from Wu pushed the Jumbos back within three points. Then after a pair of free throws from Hackley, North scored four straight points to inch within one point.

With just over two minutes to play, Tufts extended its tight lead to three after a clutch offensive rebound and put-back layup from junior Josie Lee. Both teams lost starters to the bench due to foul trouble, and Amherst battled back with free throws from Renner to pull within one. North and Hackley traded shots, the Purple and White picked up a defensive rebound and with three seconds to go, Amherst had one last shot to regain the lead. While the home team got an open look from the corner, senior Cheyenne Pritchard's missed shot gave the Jumbos the win.

North finished with game-highs of 16 points and 13 rebounds, and Baptista had 12 points and seven boards. Roberson scored eight and Wu scored seven to round out the top performers for Tufts. On the other side of the ball, Amherst was led by Hackley's 15 points and five rebounds, while Meredith Doswell put up 12 points and 11 rebounds.

On Friday night, Tufts outlasted Trinity and ran away with the game after a tight first half. The Bantams, led by junior Mackenzie Griffin, trailed just 25-22 after the first 20 minutes of play. In the third quarter, however, the Jumbos shot over 50 percent from the floor and opened up a 21-point lead. Baptista and classmate Lauren Dillon each scored seven points in the quarter.

Tufts forced Trinity to commit 21 turnovers en route to the win, and Wu scored a career-high 12 points. Baptista added 12 points and five steals while North had 10 points and nine boards.

The Jumbos look to go perfect in NESCAC regular season play for the third year in a row when they take on Williams College at home on Friday. Regardless of the outcome, they will be hosting the NESCAC championship which starts Saturday, Feb. 20. The home court advantage in the playoffs, a goal Tufts set out to achieve at the beginning of the season, should play a big role in the Jumbos' run to win a third consecutive NESCAC title.