CLAREMONT, CA (December 29, 2023) -- The No. 21 Tufts University women's basketball team poured in 53 first-half points Friday night on the road at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, getting back into the win column with a 90-58 victory in non-conference action from Roberts Pavilion.
The Jumbos (7-3) never trailed in the game as senior
Maggie Russell got the offensive onslaught underway on the team's first possession with a pair of free throws to start a 9-0 run to open the game for the visitors. CMS (1-9) got as close as two at 20-18 with 2:18 to go in the first quarter, but Russell finished the first stanza with three points to make it a 23-18 game after the opening 10 minutes.
Early in the second quarter, the Tufts' lead hovered around a one-possession contest until the Jumbos went on a 12-0 spurt capped by a three-pointer from sophomore
Annie Aspesi to take a 15-point edge at 37-22. Tufts continued to build onto its lead over the last six minutes of the half, as a Russell lay-up with 13 seconds left in the frame gave the Jumbos a 21-point cushion at the break with a 53-32 lead.
In the second half, the Athenas got the Tufts' advantage down under 20 points with 5:56 to play in regulation but subsequent 10-0 run for the Jumbos punctuated with a
Mikayla Paquette jumper put Tufts back up by 29. The lead would swell all the way up to 32 points on a triple from first-year
Annie Ryan as the Jumbos cruised to the win.
Russell scored all 20 of her points in the first half, going 6-of-12 from the floor and 8-of-9 at the free throw line. Russell also tallied team-highs of eight rebounds and six assists in 23 minutes of action.
Junior guard
Annika Decker was effiecient from the field, as she was 5-of-6 overall and 3-of-4 from deep on her way to 13 points, four assists and a career-high three blocks. Senior
Samantha Sousa nailed all three of her triples as she contributed 13 points and five rebounds in 16 minutes, while Aspesi and Paquette each came off the bench to score eight points.
Sophomore
Sarah Crossett came off the bench to score a season-high six points, and first-year
Hope Nardone drilled both of her three-pointers for her first collegiate points. The Jumbos shot the ball very well Friday, going 33-of-65 overall (50.8 percent), including making 12 of their 21 shots from behind the arc (57.1 percent). The three-point clip was a season-high, while the 12 made three-pointers were the most in 2023-24 and most since nailing 12 against the University of New England on November 27, 2022.
Tufts dominated the bench point battle with a 39-17 edge, while also posting a 29-17 edge in points off turnovers and a 16-5 lead in second-chance points. The visiting Jumbos also dominated on the glass to the tune of a 45-27 final tally.
Mary Markaryan led the Athenas with 17 points, and Kayla Ishibashi and Tanya Ghai each finished with 11 points in the loss.
Tufts will have a quick turnaround, taking on Pomona-Pitzer Colleges Saturday at 2 p.m. local time/5:00 p.m. Eastern in the second of its two games out west this weekend.
--JUMBOS--
