MEDFORD, MA (November 18, 2023) -- The No. 4 Tufts University women's basketball team outscored visiting Brandeis University 28-8 in the third quarter, opening up a five-point game at the half to take an 88-61 win in Cousens Gymnasium Saturday afternoon in non-conference play.
The Jumbos (3-1) started the afternoon by honoring senior standout
Maggie Russell prior to the game, as she was presented with her 1,000th-point basketball after earning the accomplishment in the final game of the 2022-23 season.
After the ceremony, Tufts came out hot as a jumper by junior guard
Annika Decker made the score 9-2 in favor of the hosts just three minutes into the game. Brandeis (1-3) clawed back into the contest, pulling to within one at 15-14 on a three-pointer by Abby Kennedy, as the Jumbos led by one at 17-16 going to the second stanza.
The Judges took their first lead of the day at 18-17 just seconds into the second quarter, but a triple from junior
Sofia Gonzalez pushed Tufts back in front with just under eight minutes left in the first half. The host Jumbos built their lead up to as much as nine points on a bucket by Decker with two minutes to play, eventually heading to the halftime locker room up 36-31.
After the intermission was when the Jumbos would put the hammer down on Brandeis, starting the frame with a 10-0 run capped by a three-pointer by senior
Samantha Sousa at 6:18. The lead would balloon up to 21 points with 2:51 left on a trifecta by Russell, as Tufts headed to the fourth quarter up 64-39. The lead would stay in the 20s for the remainder of the game as the Jumbos won their third straight after an opening night loss.
The Jumbos held a huge edge in points in the paint on Saturday, posting a 42-24 edge, and the bench chalked up a 36-23 advantage in points from the bench. Russell only played 15 minutes on Saturday, but scored 14 points to go with eight rebounds and four assists. Sousa led all Jumbo scorers with 15 points, going 5-of-9 from the floor which including making three of her five three-pointers.
Decker tallied a season-high 12 points to go with six assists and three rebounds, while Gonzalez, senior
Mallory Folliard and junior
Mikayla Paquette each had seven points apiece. In all, 12 players scored on Saturday as the Jumbos shot an even 50 percent (34-68) from the floor. Tufts also hit a season-high 41.7 percent (10-24) from behind the three-point arc.
Brandeis got a game-high 20 points from Caitlin Gresko, and Lulu Ohm also posted seven points in the loss.
Tufts will get a few days off before hosting Colorado College at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday evening in more non-conference action in Cousens Gymnasium.
--JUMBOS--
