SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY (January 5, 2025) -- Senior
Sofia Gonzalez chalked up team-highs of 15 points and 15 rebounds on Sunday, adding two steals to help lead the Tufts University women's basketball team to a 65-54 win over host Skidmore College at Williamson Sports & Recreation Center in non-conference action.
The 15 rebounds for Gonzalez tied a career-high, which she set back on December 29, 2022 at Stevens. The 15 rebounds were the most by any Jumbo this season, and the most in a game from a Tufts player since
Maggie Russell pulled down 21 against Trinity University (TX) in the NCAA Sweet 16 Round back on March 10, 2023.
Gonzalez was also one of three players in double figures on Sunday afternoon, as first-year
Monet Witherspoon tallied 12 points along with a career-high eight rebounds and three steals and fellow first-year
Abi Stone had a career-high 11 points. Stone had scored only one point during the season thus far, but her season-best day saw her go 3-of-4 from the field while adding three boards.
Tufts had 12 scorers on the day as 15 players got into the game in the total team win. The Jumbos (9-4) led by seven midway through the opening stanza, as a rebound putback by Gonzalez made it 12-5 early on. Skidmore rallied to go on an 11-3 run to finish the first quarter, taking the lead at 16-15 going to the second frame. The lead would go back-and-forth as the game stayed a one-score game until a 9-2 run from Tufts gave it a 30-24 lead at the half thanks to a buzzer-beating corner triple from Witherspoon going into the intermission.
In the third, Tufts led by as many as seven points but the Thoroughbreds battled back to regain a 41-40 lead with 2:12 left in the period on a lay-up by Madison Meyer. The teams continued to exchange the lead, but two straight field goals by Stone in the final minute gave Tufts a 46-43 lead after 30 minutes.
Skidmore didn't go away, as a four-point play from Sarah Chambers put the hosts back in front at 47-46 with 8:11 to go. The Jumbos came right back with an 11-3 run, capped by a jumper from first-year
Claire Kolkhorst to make it 57-50 with four minutes left. Skidmore pulled to within three with under two minutes remaining on another four-point play, but the hosts would not score again as Tufts secured the win from the free-throw line.
After a tough shooting afternoon Saturday, Tufts rebounded to shot a solid 40.4 percent overall going 23-of-57 from the floor. The Jumbos were also a strong 15-of-18 from the charity stripe, shooting 83.3 percent.
In addition to the three in double digits, Tufts saw senior
Mikayla Paquette score six points in 10 minutes while Kolkhorst added five points and two rebounds. Senior
Caitlyn O'Boyle tallied six rebounds and four points, and
Annika Decker had a team-high five assists, three rebounds, three steals and three points.
Cassie Davidson had 13 points to pace the T-Breds Sunday. Skidmore struggled from the floor, making just 24.2 percent from the floor (16-66).
The Jumbos will continue their six-game stretch away from Cousens Gymnasium Friday evening, January 10 in Brunswick, Maine, opening New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) action against No. 6 Bowdoin College at 7 p.m.
--JUMBOS--
