Box Score 
NORTHAMPTON - In their second game of the Tyler Tip-Off Tournament at Smith College, the Tufts University women's basketball team defeated the Vassar College Brewers 69-59, a strong 2-0 start for the Jumbos. They led for the entirety of the game, keeping the Brewers from staging a comeback in the fourth quarter.
Two Jumbo players posted 20-point efforts in Sunday's game. Sophomore Maggie Russell (pictured) put up 27 points, 18 rebounds and three assists, her second double-double in two games. Russell shot an outstanding 10 of 14 on field-goal attempts, and was a perfect two for two on three-pointers, both coming at the perfect time to swing the momentum in favor of the Jumbos. Senior co-captain Sofia Rosa turned in 22 points and six rebounds, being heavily targeted in the paint for post-ups, shooting an equally impressive 10-13 from the floor.
Tufts began the first quarter with a strong start, off the back of eight straight points from Rosa, pushing into the paint for efficient jumpers and layups. The two teams traded baskets, both rebounding the ball well. The Brewers shot the three-ball better than the Jumbos in the first period, with Tufts' scoring coming exclusively in the lane and from free throws. Even so, the potent Tufts offense managed to lead Vassar going into the second quarter, 18-12.
The Jumbos continued with smart offensive plays in the second half, making great use of post-ups in the paint and easy layups off the hands of Rosa. The Jumbos went on a 6-0 run that was eventually stopped by a three from Vassar junior Dani Douglas, but Tufts quickly answered back with a rainbow three of their own from Russell, assisted by senior Molly Ryan. This three kicked off a 9-0 run for the Jumbos, bringing Tufts to a 16 point lead over Vassar. Though the Brewers began to heat up in the waning minutes of the first half, the Jumbos were able to effectively answer back, and ended the period up 35-23.
In the third quarter, the Jumbos got off to another quick start, scoring eight points in the first two and a half minutes of play. Though the Tufts offense slowed down in the second half of the period, as a number of shots stopped falling, the Jumbo defense forced difficult shots from the Brewers and kept the team up by a wide margin, exiting the quarter with a score of 54-42.
Vassar came out firing at the beginning of the fourth quarter, spreading the ball around, rebounding well, and going on a 6-0 run to cut the Jumbo lead in half. After a timeout at the six-minute mark, the Tufts offense came back to life, sparked by a stepback three off the hands of Russell. The Jumbos were able to keep the Brewers from pulling ahead, drawing necessary shooting fouls at the right time and playing solid zone defense.
The Jumbos will head north to Maine to face the University of New England on Tuesday at 7 PM, and will return for their first home game of the season against Brandeis at Cousens Gym on November 20th at 1 PM.
Written by Max Chow-Gillette, Athletic Communications Student Assistant
