Box Score 
MEDFORD – Angela Alibrandi scored eight of her game-high 21 points in the third quarter helping the 10th-ranked Tufts University women's basketball team take a 65-61 win over New Jersey City University (NJCU) in an entertaining game between out-of-region teams on Monday night.
The visiting Gothic Knights led 34-32 at the half and then hit the first two shots of the second half, a jumper and a three by Laney Fox that gave the guests a 39-32 advantage. However, Tufts (12-2) produced an 11-3 run over the next five minutes led by six points from Alibrandi to take a 43-42 lead.
A Demaris Rodriguez basket gave NJCU the lead back briefly, but Tufts' Erin Poindexter McHan answered with a three-pointer for a 46-44 Jumbo margin. The hosts would not trail again. McHan's three and a trifecta by Joelle Zelony (pictured) earlier in the Tufts run came after the hosts had gone 0 for 17 on threes in the first half.
Up 48-46 early in the fourth quarter, the Jumbos used a 9-0 stretch led by seven points from Molly Ryan to go ahead 57-46. Tufts led 60-48 on another Zelony three at the 5:17 mark, but the Knights would make it interesting.
Rodriguez, averaging 21 points per game coming in, got hot and scored seven straight to lead a 9-0 Knights run that closed the gap to 62-59 with 51 seconds left in regulation. A pair of free throws by Alibrandi put the Tufts lead at 64-59 with 18 seconds on the clock. Kyla Craddock scored for NJCU and it was one-possession game again (64-61), but with six seconds left a free throw by Callie O'Brien locked down the win for Tufts.
Despite poor shooting in the first half, Tufts owned the boards 31-14 leading to an 18-4 advantage in second-chance points. That helped offset a 53.8-percent shooting performance (14/26) by the Knights in the first 20 minutes. Liyah Allen was strong early for NJCU with 10 first-half points. Alibrandi's 11 and 10 from Ryan led Tufts at intermission.
Alibrandi was a perfect 9 for 9 at the free throw line and added 14 rebounds (seven offensve) and three assists to lead Tufts overall tonight. Ryan finished with 19 points and seven rebounds, and Zelony's career-high eight points came with seven rebounds in her first career start. Samantha Sousa also had seven rebounds off the bench, helping the Jumbos finish +18 on the boards (54-36).
Rodriguez's 16 points, seven assists and six rebounds paced the Knights (4-6). Fox added 15 points with six rebounds and three assists, and Jada Camacho collected 10 rebounds to go with six points.
Tufts returns to NESCAC action on Saturday when they host Bates College at 3 PM.
