NEW YORK (December 9, 2023) -- The No. 16 Tufts University women's basketball squad trailed by just three heading into the fourth quarter, but top-ranked New York University poured in 29 in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 79-63 win over the Jumbos in a competitive, high-level contest inside NYU's Paulsen Center Saturday afternoon.
Tufts was down just three at 50-47 heading into the fourth quarter, and quickly trimmed its deficit to one at 50-49 with 9:23 remaining in regulation on a jumper by junior
Sofia Gonzalez. NYU wouldn't let go of the lead, but it was still a single-possession game midway through the frame as
Mallory Folliard scored on a bucket to make it 55-53. That's when the Violets (8-0) would start to edge away, as the hosts put together a 14-2 run to take a 69-55 lead with three minutes left on a Natalie Bruns lay-up.
The Jumbos pulled to within 10 with two minutes to play on a three-pointer by
Annika Decker, but that was as close as they would get as NYU made eight free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
The game was competitive all the way through though, as the Jumbos rallied from an 11-point disadvantage in the first quarter to take the lead with five minutes left in the second quarter on a triple by sophomore
Annie Aspesi at 31-28. NYU raced right back with 10 straight to end the quarter as the hosts took a 39-31 lead into the intermission.
Out of the halftime break Tufts once again pushed back as it clawed back to a two-point game with 6:50 left in the third period on a triple from Gonzalez. The lead would twice get as close as two points, including with 26 seconds left in the frame as
Samantha Sousa scored inside to make it a 49-47 game in favor of the Violets. Unfortunately though, the Jumbos wouldn't ever regain the lead as the big fourth quarter was the difference.
Senior
Maggie Russell posted a big game for Tufts, going 9-of-20 from the field for 22 points, adding eight rebounds as well. Fellow senior
Callie O'Brien tallied a season-high 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting, adding four boards, and Decker had a solid game with eight points, six boards, seven assists and three steals before fouling out in 38 minutes of action.
Gonzalez also finished with nine point, and Sousa added five for the Jumbos. Tufts did do a nice job in forcing turnover and converting off of them, holding a 15-9 edge in that category.
NYU put four in double figures including 18 points from Megan Bauman, who added five assists. Morgan Morrison tallied 16 points and seven rebounds, and Belle Pellecchia finished with a double-double of 14 points and 16 rebounds. Bruns also tallied 13 points for the Violets, who shot 47.5 percent from the floor and made 21-of-27 from the free throw line. NYU held a 44-34 edge in rebounds, while posting a 42-28 edge in points in the paint. The Violets also posted a 14-0 edge in points in transition.
Bauman and Morrison were 2023 Division III All-Americans, both of whom transferred to NYU for their final season.
Tufts will get 20 days off before heading to California for a pair of games, taking on Claremont-Mudd-Scripps College Friday, December 29 at 5 p.m. EST before taking on Pomona-Pitzer Saturday, December 30 at 5 p.m. EST to finish the calendar year.
--JUMBOS--
