Box Score
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Liz Moynihan scored 10 of her game-high 14 points in the second half
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AMHERST – After falling behind 11-0 at the start of the game, the Tufts University women's basketball team recovered and played a dominant second half to earn a 55-40 victory over Bowdoin College in the 2012 NESCAC Championship semi-finals on Saturday afternoon at Amherst College. The Jumbos will play the host Lord Jeffs in the conference final on Sunday at noon.
Tufts, who improved to 21-5 overall, will vie for its first-ever NESCAC crown. They will be playing in their third conference final, including 2007 and 2008. Bowdoin, which dropped to 19-7, will await a possible NCAA Tournament berth.
Bowdoin scored the game's first 11 points, including five by senior tri-captain Amy Hackett (Bangor, ME). Tufts started 0 for 10 from the floor and didn't score their first basket until sophomore Liz Moynihan (Storrs, CT) had a lay-up at 14:50, making it 11-2.
The Polar Bears led 15-4 on a jumper by senior tri-captain Alexa Barry (Rindge, NH) before Tufts got back into the game. The Jumbos scored the next 11 points, including three-pointers by first-year point guard Kelsey Morehead (Foster City, CA) and senior co-captain Kate Barnosky (Huntington Station, NY), to take a 16-15 lead with 6:35 remaining until halftime.
Bowdoin called a time-out and got back into rhythm, with Hackett hitting two free throws and then a three, followed by a Kaitlin Donahoe (Amherst, NY) jumper that capped a 7-0 Polar Bear run and made it 22-16 Bowdoin. The Polar Bears led 23-20 at the break, with Hackett's 10 points leading them and seven from Morehead pacing Tufts.
After Polar Bear senior tri-captain Jill Henrikson (Bath, ME) hit a three to put Bowdoin up 26-22 one minute into the second half, Tufts turned the game around over the next 10 minutes. It started when five different players scored during a 12-3 Jumbo run that put them up 34-29 on a hoop by Moynihan at 13:22.
Moynihan later followed with a three at 11:05 to give Tufts a 37-30 advantage. Another three, by first-year Hannah Foley (Acton, MA), a lay-up by Moynihan and a jumper by junior co-captain Bre Dufault (Hampden, MA) brought the Jumbo lead to 14 (46-32) with 8:09 on the clock. Overall, Tufts out-scored Bowdoin 24-6 from 18:30 to 8:09 of the second half.
Both teams went cold for a spell until Morehead scored a lay-up that extended the Jumbo lead to 49-34 at the five-minute mark. Bowdoin would get no closer than 13 points the rest of the way. The Tufts margin peaked at 16 (54-38) with 1:06 remaining following two free throws by Moynihan, who had 10 second-half points.
In the second half, Tufts out-scored Bowdoin 35-17, held the Polar Bears to four for 14 (28.6 percent) shooting, won the rebound battle 21-8 and forced 12 turnovers. Meanwhile, the Jumbos shot 13 for 27 (48.1 percent) in the second half.
Moynihan led Tufts with 14 points, hitting five of seven shots and adding five rebounds. Barnosky finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Kornegay filled the stat sheet with four points, 12 rebounds (five offensive), seven steals and six assists. Morehead added nine points and two steals.
Hackett led Bowdoin with 12 points to go with two's in assists and steals. Henrikson scored 10 points, pulled down six rebounds and made two steals. Donahoe recorded seven points with three assists.
Up next for Tufts is host Amherst, the two-time defending NESCAC champion and winners of three of the last four league titles. The Lord Jeffs are 26-0 overall and have won 45 straight games. They have won 62 straight home games at LeFrak Gymnasium. The Lord Jeffs eliminated Colby, 66-52, in Saturday's other semi-final.
Game statistics
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