WATERVILLE, ME (February 3, 2023) -- Junior
Maggie Russell posted 18 points and 14 rebounds Friday night at Colby College, as the Jumbos outscored the host Mules 22-15 in the fourth quarter to capture a 59-53 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) win in action from the Margaret M. Crook Center.
The win for the Jumbos (15-6, 6-1 NESCAC) was their third straight victory, but it didn't come easily as the Mules led 38-37 going to the fourth quarter. Russell would score the first points of the final stanza, converting an old-fashioned three-point play to give Tufts a 40-38 lead. After Caroline Smith answered with a lay-up to deadlock the game at 40, guard
Annika Decker drilled a three-pointer to spark an 8-0 run for Tufts to make it 48-40 with just over five minutes to go.
Tufts would lead by six with 2:41 to go after two free-throws by Russell, but five straight points from the Mules (8-11, 3-4 NESCAC) made it a one-point contest at 54-53 to play. After both teams missed chances on their next possessions, sophomore
Sofia Gonzalez nailed two freebies with 37 seconds left to make it 56-53 in favor of the Jumbos. On Colby's next chance, Sophie Webb rimmed out a tying three-pointer with 25 seconds to go and Russell connected on two free throws to clinch the victory for the visitors.
The contest was tight through the early going of the first half, with Colby earning its largest lead of the game at 13-7 after a free throw by Adaobi Nebuwa. Tufts rallied back to tie the contest twice in the second quarter before moving ahead 22-20 with 5:47 left in the first half on a three-pointer from Gonzalez. The Jumbos led by as many as five in the quarter before taking a 29-26 lead into halftime.
The Jumbos and Mules handed the lead back and forth through the middle of the third period, while Russell finally got on the board with two free throws with 4:42 to go in the frame to tie the game at 33. All 18 of the junior's points came in the second half, with her first field goal being the one that put Tufts ahead 40-38 in the fourth quarter.
The double-double for Russell was her eighth of the season, as she connected on all nine of her free throw attempts. Junior
Hannah Kelly came off the bench to provide huge minutes, posting 12 points and four rebounds in 20 minutes of action. Gonzalez finished with 12 points and three steals, while Decker tallied nine points, three rebounds, three assists and four thefts.
Tufts struggled from the the field, but was strong at the free throw line as it was 17-of-22 (77.3 percent) on the evening. Tufts held a 19-3 edge in bench points, mostly from Kelly, while also earning a 10-3 edge in second chance points which turned out the be the difference. The Jumbos also forced 20 turnovers to just 11 committed, and won the battle on the glass 41-33.
Lydia Mordarski finished with a game-high 21 points, pulling in seven rebounds for the Mules, while Smith tallied 11 points as well in the loss. Colby was 16-of-50 (32.0 percent) from the field while also having a good night at the charity stripe, making 16 of its 19 attempts (84.2 percent).
Tufts will be right back in action Saturday afternoon in Brunswick, Maine, taking on Bowdoin College at 3 p.m. in the final road NESCAC game of the season for the Jumbos.
--JUMBOS--
