Box Score
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Jumbo captains (l-r) Liz Moynihan, Ali Rocchi and Caitlin McClure are joined by Jen Woytagh from NESCAC, Tufts President Anthony Monaco and Tufts Athletics Director Bill Gehling during the championship plaque presentation.
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MEDFORD - The Tufts University women's basketball team won its first-ever New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) championship with a 62-46 victory over Amherst College at Couses Gym Sunday afternon. Junior Hayley Kanner scored 21 points to lead the champs.
Tufts trailed 5-0 early in the game, but erased that deficit and led for the final 31 minutes of play. Kanner and first-year Michela North were too much for Amherst to handle under the basket. North added 10 points and 14 rebounds off the bench. Junior point guard Kelsey Morehead played all 40 minutes scoring 10 points and senior tri-captain Liz Moynihan also finished with 10.
> Coach Berube Discusses Jumbos' First NESCAC Championship
The Jumbos (26-1) matched the school record for victories, tying the 2007-08 team that finished 26-4. Tufts earns the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Championship field, which will be announced tomorrow. The team has a very strong chance of hosting the first two rounds at Cousens next weekend (Mar. 7-8).
Amherst (24-3), led by 15 points from Marley Giddins today, saw its streak of four consecutive conference titles end. The Lord Jeffs were playing in the NESCAC final for the seventh straight year. They will likely earn an at-large berth into the NCAA's.
The Lord Jeffs scored the game's first five points, including a three by Cheyenne Pritchard. Tufts tied the game at 8-8 on a North lay-up at 13:02 and would never trail again. A pair of free throws by Giddins made it 10-10 at the 11-minute mark, but that would be the last tie of the contest.
Tufts scored the next nine points to open a 19-10 advantage with 6:21 remaining until halftime. Kanner netted a rare three-pointer and two free throws during the stretch. A free throw by Giddins ended a drought of five-plus minutes without scoring by Amherst.
Desite shooting just 18.2 percent (4/22) in the first half, the Lord Jeffs hung around. They were within six three times in the final five minutes of the half, including 27-21 after a pair of Hannah Peterson free throws at 2:06.
Tufts held a 29-22 margin at the half, shooting just 29 percent (9/31) themselves. Kanner had 11 points at the break for the Jumbos and Giddins led Amherst with nine.
Kanner scored the first two baskets of the second half for Tufts, giving the hosts a 33-22 advantage. A Peterson three-pointer got Amherst within 33-25, but the Jumbos retaliated with the next four to lead 37-25 on an Ali Rocchi basket at 17:30.
The Jumbos were up by 13 (46-33) when the clock wound down under 10 minutes to go in regulation. Amherst clawed back to within eight at 50-42 following an Ali Doswell free throw with 4:41 remaining. She had four points during the 7-2 spurt by the Lord Jeffs.
Tufts had an answer though, and it was Kanner scoring the 20 and 21st points of her game on a lay-up to give Tufts a 52-42 advantage at 4:41. Amherst turned the ball over on its next possesion and the Jumbos would lead by double-digits the rest of the way.
The Tufts defense was key again, holding Amherst to 12 of 42 shooting (28.6 percent) overall. Tufts was +4 in rebounds, with junior Hannah Foley adding five to go with seven points, two assists and two steals. Moynihan led with four assists.
Peterson added 10 points to the Amherst offense, while Haley Zwecker finished with nine.
Tufts had earned its first victory against the Lord Jeffs since January 12, 2007 back on January 17 of this season in a 58-53 final at Cousens. The teams were facing each other in the conference final for the third time, with Amherst winning in 2012 and 2008. This was the Jumbos' fourth appearance in the NESCAC Championship game.
NESCAC Championship Game Photos by Kelvin Ma / Tufts
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