Box Score MEDFORD, MA (November 29, 2023) – In a stirring early-season match-up between neighboring rivals, junior guard Angie Choi scored 25 points to lead visiting MIT to a 66-63 win over #8 Tufts University in non-conference women's basketball action Wednesday night at Cousens Gym.
Senior
Maggie Russell led Tufts (5-2) with a game-high 26 points, while senior
Samantha Sousa added 15. Graduate guard Christina Antonakakis finished with 17 points for the Engineers (3-2).
The teams were tied 24-24 at the half, then in the third quarter Tufts held a slim advantage for most of the first eight minutes. The Jumbos led 42-37 after a pair of free throws from Russell. However, MIT scored the final seven points of the quarter capped by a go-ahead jumper from sophomore Brianna Lebrun that put the guests up 44-42.
MIT then scored the first six points of the fourth quarter – four by Antonakakis – to open up an eight-point 50-42 advantage. MIT maintained a slim lead, which was at five (60-55) on sophomore Kaya Weiser's bucket with just under two minutes remaining in regulation. However, the Jumbos hit huge back-to-back threes by Sousa and junior
Sofia Gonzalez to surge back into the lead 61-60 with 1:20 on the clock.
That set up a dramatic final minute. A pair of Choi free throws – she was a 10 for 10 at the line – gave MIT a 62-61 lead. After a Jumbo time-out, Tufts was whistled for a five-second violation while attempting to inbound the ball after a team rebound. Choi added two more free throws at the other end for a 64-61 MIT advantage with 26 seconds to go.
A lay-up by Russell brought Tufts within 64-63 as the clock wound down under 20 seconds, then Tufts had a steal by senior
Callie O'Brien on an inbound pass. However, they missed a contested lay-up and had to foul. Following two more Choi free throws with 8.4 seconds remaining that put MIT ahead 66-63, Sousa's last-second three-pointer for the Jumbos was blocked by MIT senior Grace Harrington to end the game.
Russell added 11 rebounds to her totals for the hosts, while Gonzalez finished with a thorough 13 points, five rebounds, five assists, five steals and two blocks. The Jumbos had 20 assists on 24 baskets, with Sousa adding five.
Junior Kamsi Nwogu contributed 12 points and seven rebounds for MIT. The Engineers were 16 for 18 from the line (88.9 percent) compared to eight for 13 by Tufts (61.5 percent).
The Jumbos are now off for seven days before hosting Emmanuel College next Thursday (Dec. 7) at Cousens. MIT hosts Brandeis on Saturday.
--JUMBOS--
