Box Score 
MEDFORD – The Tufts University women's basketball team never trailed in their 55-45 victory over the Hamilton College Continentals Friday night in Cousens Gymnasium.
Three Jumbos finished the game with double-digit points and senior captain Molly Ryan led the way with 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Maggie Russell and Callie O'Brien (pictured) each had 10 points for Tufts with Russell adding 10 rebounds. Hamilton's Emily Hall led the Continentals with 13 points on the night along with six rebounds and three assists.
Tufts started the game with a 12-1 run with baskets from Russell, Ryan, Sofia Rosa and Erin Poindexter McHan. A Kelsie Zarle three-pointer ended the Jumbos' run and started a Hamilton comeback with four minutes remaining in the first quarter. Tufts' Sofia Gonzalez followed that up with a three-pointer of her own, but Hamilton ended the quarter on a 5-0 run with Maria Mercado-Rengel hitting a three to send the game to the second quarter with the score at 15-9 in favor of Tufts.
It took just under two and a half minutes for either team to score in the second quarter as it was a back-and-forth defensive battle. Olivia Davis got the first points of the quarter for Hamilton to cut the Tufts lead to just four, but Ryan responded with a three-pointer. The teams would trade baskets for much of the remainder of the quarter and Hamilton would end up tying the game at 20 on two Hall free-throws with just over three minutes left in the half. With multiple fouls occurring during the final two minutes of the quarter, Ryan, Caitlyn O'Boyle, and Angela Alibrandi all hit their free throws to give Tufts a 29-24 lead heading into halftime.
The game remained close throughout the third and fourth quarters with both teams going back-and-forth trading baskets and playing good defense. Emma Sehring got the scoring started in the third quarter for the Continentals, but an O'Brien three-pointer quickly halted any chance of a Hamilton run as the Jumbos would continue on a 7-0 stretch to extend their lead. The teams continued battling to finish off the quarter with a 43-34 Tufts lead. O'Brien finished the third quarter with eight of the team's 14 points.
The Jumbos played tight defense in the fourth quarter in order to leave no room for a Hamilton comeback, leading to a low-scoring period. Poindexter McHan started the quarter off with a three-pointer, giving the Jumbos momentum. Ryan also hit a three pointer in the quarter, but it was Russell who took over in the fourth quarter. She scored six points to finish off the Jumbos' 55-45 victory.
The win moves the Jumbos to 11-1 overall with a 2-0 NESCAC record. Hamilton falls to 6-6 on the season, and are still looking for their first conference win (0-2).
Tufts will return to action tomorrow at home in a key conference matchup against rival and #3-ranked Amherst College at 3 pm.
Written by Tim O'Brien, Athletic Communications Intern
