NORTHAMPTON, MA (February 11, 2025) -- The Tufts University women's basketball team added a signature win to the team's postseason resume on Tuesday night, knocking off No. 7 Smith College 60-50 on the road in non-conference play from Ainsworth Gymnasium.
According to D3Datacast, the win vaulted Tufts (15-8) from a 45 percent chance of earning a Pool C berth into the NCAA Tournament if needed to a 99 percent chance. Tufts also tentatively jumped from No. 31 in the NPI projections to No. 28 with the victory. The win also snapped Smith's 15-game win streak, as the Pioneers dropped to 19-2 on the season.
The Jumbos came out fast in the opening quarter, leading one of the best shooting squads in the country to just 22.2 percent shooting in the first stanza. The Jumbos built its lead up to 12 points after the first 10 minutes, as a jumper from
Monet Witherspoon with no time remaining in the frame made it 17-5.
Tufts would score on its first possession of the second quarter to make it 19-5, but would go cold the final 9:38 of the half as Smith closed its deficit to seven at 19-12 going to the break. Smith made just four field goals in the first half, while Tufts was 1-of-9 in the second stanza.
The offensive units would come alive in the second half, as Tufts was 8-of-16 (50.0 percent) in the third quarter while the Pioneers were 7-of-13 overall. Tufts would lead until the 3:51 mark of the third quarter when Ella Sylvester converted a three-point play to deadlock the game at 26.
The Jumbos would respond with a 12-3 run to regain a nine-point edge, as
Annika Decker posted a three-pointer before two run-out lay-ups by
Sofia Gonzalez. The Pioneers closed to within five after three quarters, but Tufts pushed its advantage back up to 10 with six minutes to go on a jumper from Gonzalez.
Smith would continue to push but Tufts had the answer each time as WItherspoon knocked down two clutch jumpers with the dagger coming on a three-pointer by Gonzalez with a minute to play.
Gonzalez finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and four assists in the win, going 7-of-16 overall and 2-of-5 from three-point range. WItherspoon added 18 points and eight rebounds as well, making seven of her 15 field goals, and
Stella Galanes also ahd 12 points thanks to 3-of-5 shooting from deep.
Decker was fantastic on defense all night, adding eight point on two huge triples while also recording four assists, and
Caitlyn O'Boyle pulled down 11 rebounds and blocked two shots.
Tufts shook off the slow start to shot 44.2 percent from the floor and 7-of-16 (43.8 percent) from three-point range. The Jumbos finished with a 35-24 edge on the glass Tuesday, and forced 17 turnovers by the Pioneers.
Smith was paced by the game-high 23 points from Sylvester, while Jane Loo added 18 points as well. Pioneer leading scorer Ally Landau, who was averaging over 15 points per game, scored just two Tuesday night while Hannah Martin was also 10 points under her season average with five.
The 33.3 percent shooting overall for the Pioneers was a season-low, and the 17 turnovers were the second-most this season.
The Jumbos will look to continue their momentum into Sunday's season finale at Bates College in a massive New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) tilt in Lewiston, Maine at 2 p.m.
--JUMBOS--
