MEDFORD, MA (February 6, 2024) -- Senior forward
Maggie Russell became just the third player in the history of Tufts University women's basketball to score 1,400 points for her career, also moving into No. 3 on the all-time scoring list at Tufts in a 69-61 home loss to No. 21 Smith College Tuesday evening in the non-conference and home finale this season.
Russell tallied a team-high 17 points on the night for the Jumbos (11-10), as she moved past former teammate Erica DeCandido '20 (1,397) into No. 3 on the Tufts women's hoops scoring column. Russell now sits with 1,403 points for her career, and is now just 19 points shy of Colleen Hart '11 and her 1,422 points for second all-time. Michela North '17 is the all-time leading scorer at Tufts with 1,568 points.
Unfortunately, the milestone didn't come in a victory for Russell and the Jumbos as visiting Smith College was able to us two big second-half runs to pull out the victory. Tufts trailed the Pioneers (18-3) for most of the first quarter, as former Jumbo Sofia Rosa posted a three-point play to give the visitors a 16-9 lead with 3:51 left in the opening frame. The Jumbos scored the next six points, but another Rosa three-point play sent the game to the second quarter with Smith up 19-15.
The Jumbos would rally back though, tying the game twice before taking the lead at 30-29 on a bucket from sophomore
Sophia Davis with just under three minutes left in the half. The basket was part of a 9-0 run for Tufts, culminated by back-to-back steals and lay-ups by Russell on a full court press to make it 34-29. After Smith cut its deficit to one, Russell hit a bucket just before halftime ot give the hosts a 36-33 lead at the break.
The Pioneers would charge out of the halftime gates fast, scoring the first 12 points of the frame to force a timeout from the Jumbos down 45-36. Smith's lead grew up to a game-high 11 points at 50-39 on a bucket and free throw by Jessie Ruffner but once again Tufts pushed back. The Jumbos answered that run with a 10-1 run to finish the third quarter, getting six points from junior
Caitlyn O'Boyle during that stretch to make it 51-49 Smith going to the fourth.
Tufts quickly tied the game with a Russell jumper to start the final stanza, but an 8-0 run over the next three minutes gave the visiting Pioneers some breathing room. The Jumbos got as close as five twice, the latest coming at 1:54 to play on a
Sofia Gonzalez jumper, but Smith hit 5-of-6 down the stretch to seal the victory at the line.
Russell was 8-of-16 on the evening, adding 11 rebounds and three steals to her 17 points. Gonzalez was 6-of-16 shooting for Tufts, posting four boards and two steals, and
Stella Galanes added a career-high nine points in 20 minutes of action. O'Boyle tallied six points, six rebounds and two steals, while
Samantha Sousa finished with five points and four rebounds.
Tufts shot 39.1 percent from the floor Tuesday evening, and played aggressive defense forcing 17 Pioneer turnovers. Of Tufts 61 points, 27 came off Smith miscues including 12 in the second quarter. Tufts also had a decided 35-4 edge in bench points, and held a slight 40-38 rebounding margin.
Ruffner had a game-high 22 points, adding 10 rebounds while going 10-of-11 at the charity stripe. Rosa finished with a big game in her return to Cousens Gym, as the 2022 Tufts graduate tallied 21 points and 14 rebounds on 8-of-12 shooting. Hannah Margin also contributed 14 points and seven rebounds for the Pioneers, who made 24-of-55 (43.6 percent) of their field goals.
The Jumbos will finish their regular season on Friday evening on the road, traveling to Wesleyan University for a pivotal New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) contest in Middletown, CT. If Tufts defeats Wesleyan, it will clinch a NESCAC Tournament playoff spot.
--JUMBOS--
