MEDFORD, MA (January 17, 2025) -- First-year guard
Monet Witherspoon had her best game as a Jumbo Friday evening against Williams College, as the newcomer poured in a career-high 23 points to help lift the Tufts University women's basketball team to a 61-52 win inside Cousens Gymnasium in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) action.
It was one of the better shooting nights on the season for the Jumbos (10-6, 1-2 NESCAC), as Tufts shot 43.8 percent (7-16) from three-land while making 45.1 percent overall going 23-for-51. Both percentages were the third-best in their categories on the season for the Jumbos. The career-high for Witherspoon came on 9-of-13 shooting, as she scored 19 of her 23 in the second half. Her previous career-high was 19 points, set three times this year.
The Jumbos led for the majority of the first half, as a triple from
Sofia Gonzalez started a 10-4 for Tufts powered by eight points from the senior guard to make it 12-6 after the opening 10 minutes. Tufts would lead by as many as nine twice early on in the second quarter, but Williams (10-5, 1-2 NESCAC) charged back to make it a one-point game at 19-18 after a three from Tatum Leuenberger with 4:39 to go in the frame.
First-year guard
Claire Kolkhorst helped start an 8-0 run for Tufts following the run by Williams, as she nailed a three followed by a trifecta from fifth-year
Callie O'Brien and a bucket from senior
Caitlyn O'Boyle. The half would end on a highlight by Witherspoon, as she raced down the court with the time ticking down and beat the buzzer with a lay-up to make it 29-20 at the half.
The second half would be the Witherspoon show, as she helped Tufts take its largest lead of the night at 13 after a pair of free throws to make it 40-27 with 4:32 left in the stanza. Witherspoon scored Tufts final nine points of the third quarter, as she poured in 11 in the third to give the Jumbos a 43-37 lead going to the fourth.
Williams would trim the Tufts lead down to a pair at 43-41 early in the fourth quarter, but a quick 6-0 run all on points from Witherspoon pushed Tufts edge back up to eight at 51-43 with just under five minutes to play. A key sequence late came with 1:25 to play, as Gonzalez got a loose ball back off of her own miss and nailed a three-pointer to effectively put the game away.
Witherspoon added four rebounds to her point tally on Friday, while Gonzalez had a strong game with 13 points, four rebounds, two assists, three steals and a block.
Stella Galanes got the start and added seven points and five rebounds, and O'Brien had a season-high eight points while posting three rebounds and two helpers.
Annika Decker led all players with five assists for Tufts, while O'Boyle had a team-high six caroms.
First-year
Siobhan Stapleton also came off the bench to tally a career-high five rebounds in the win.
Ellie Tounkara had a team-high 15 points for Williams, and Leuenberger had 14 points off the bench.
Tufts will be back at home Saturday, January 18 at 3 p.m., hosting Middlebury College in a NESCAC tilt inside Cousens Gymnasium.
--JUMBOS--
