MEDFORD, MA (February 2, 2024) -- Hosting Tufts University pulled to within one with 4:18 to go in regulation at 50-49, but visiting Colby College outscored Tufts down the stretch 12-1 to pick up a 62-50 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) win over the Jumbos in play from Cousens Gymnasium Friday evening.
Tufts (11-9, 3-4 NESCAC) and Colby played a back-and-forth affair in the first quarter, as back-to-back lay-ups by
Callie O'Brien and
Sarah Crossett late gave Tufts a 14-12 lead. Adaobi Nebuwa hit a shot right before the buzzer for the Mules to make it 14-14 after the first quarter, but from that point both teams went cold from the floor. The next bucket for either team would come at the 7:00 minute point of the second quarter, as a Kate Olenik jumper put Colby ahead.
The Mules pushed ahead by six points at 25-19, but two free throws by senior
Maggie Russell with just over four seconds left in the half made it 26-23 after 20 minutes. The second half saw Colby come out and immediately take its largest lead of the game at 33-25 after a three-pointer by Lydia Modarski. Tufts senior
Samantha Sousa immediately answered with six straight points including back-to-back triples to make it a four-point game at 35-31.
The Colby lead would stay in the two-possession range the rest of the quarter, as Tufts went into the fourth quarter chasing a four-point deficit at 43-39 after two free throws by
Sofia Gonzalez just before the quarter's end.
Like the third quarter, Colby would extend its lead as this time a three-pointer by Modarski made it 50-41 with six minutes to play. After a timeout, Tufts charged back with eight straight points including a triple and layup by Gonzalez to trim the visitor's lead to one at 50-49. On the next possession, Gonzalez posted a steal but wasn't able to hold onto the ball as Colby hit three free throws to make it a 53-49 game with 2:11 left.
Colby would get continue to extend its lead up to the final margin thanks to 6-of-8 shooting at the line to ice the victory. The win for the Mules was their first in Medford since the 2001-02 season.
Gonzalez finished with a team-high 14 points, adding five rebounds and two steals on the night. Sousa posted nine points and six rebounds, hitting both of her three-point shots, and Russell added eight points, 14 rebounds and three blocks. O'Brien also posted five points for Tufts, which shot 25.0 percent (16-64) from the floor for the night.
Colby (11-9, 3-4 NESCAC) got a game-best 24 points from Olenik, and Mordarski added 14 points and nine rebounds in the win.
Tufts will host No. 10 Bowdoin College (19-2, 6-1 NESCAC) Saturday afternoon for Senior Day at 3 p.m., as the Jumbos honor their five seniors of Russell, O'Brien, Sousa,
Mallory Folliard and
Hannah Kelly.
--JUMBOS--
