Box Score MEDFORD, Mass. – The Tufts University women's basketball team defeated Connecticut College in the quarterfinal round of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) tournament, 85-48, this afternoon in Cousens Gym.
|
| Baptista took over third place all-time in Tufts women's basketball scoring history with her 21 points today. |
The Jumbos (22-3, 8-2 NESCAC) never trailed the Camels (15-9, 4-6 NESCAC) on the afternoon and used a third quarter in which they outscored Connecticut College by 15 to pull away and seal the victory.
Melissa Baptista led all scorers with 21 points, five rebounds, four steals, and two assists. She also passed 1989 grad Teresa Allen for third-most points scored in her career all-time in the program's record books. She now has 1,258, passing Allen's 1,257.
Jac Knapp had 15 points and Lauren Dillon stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and a block. In her first game back after a five-game absence due to injury, Erica DeCandido had 12 points, four assists, and two rebounds.
Mairead Hynes had an exceptional game for the Camels as she recorded a double-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and an assist in what could be her final collegiate appearance if Connecticut does not qualify for the NCAA tournament. Casey Walsh had 10 points, three rebounds, and an assist for the Camels.
The Jumbos came into the second half up by ten, but really broke it open in the third quarter. Dillon hit a three-pointer to start things off and then DeCandido and Baptista each sank a few buckets to go up, 48-30. The Camels battled with a couple baskets from Dana Muckstadt and Sami Ashton, but the quarter ended the same way it started, with a Dillon three.
Tufts expanded their lead in the fourth to keep things out of reach with six points apiece from Knapp and Sadie Otlley. Five other Jumbos had at least three points in the quarter as well to wrap things up.
Tufts held the rebound advantage for the game, 36-30, moved the ball around better with 19 assists to the Camels' 13, and came away with nine steals.
The home team started the game out hot hitting their first six shots to build a 13-6 lead just three minutes into the game. They doubled that lead in the next few minutes after a three-pointer by Dillon and a layup by Knapp brought the score to 20-6. The teams traded buckets for the rest of the first frame to go into the second quarter of play with the Jumbos up, 26-13.
The Camels outscored the Jumbos in the second quarter, 14-11, behind 10 points from Hynes. She led all scorers at the break with 16 points as she grabbed seven rebounds in the first half as well. Baptista was Tufts' top bucket-getter in the first half with 12 points, as the Jumbos went into the locker room with a 37-27 lead.
The squad will face the two-seeded Bowdoin next Saturday, Feb. 24, at Amherst College.
#
Written by Curtis Stoychoff, Athletic Communications Intern
