MEDFORD, MA (February 18, 2025) -- The Tufts University women's basketball squad will start its run through the 2025 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Tournament Saturday afternoon on the road, heading to Hartford, CT to battle Trinity College in action from Oosting Gymnasium. The Jumbos will serve as the No. 6 seed in the NESCAC Tournament, facing third-seed Trinity.
Game Details
Championship Website
Date: Saturday, February 22, 2025
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Hartford, Connecticut -
Ray Oosting Gymnasium
Live Coverage:
Live Stats -
Live Video
Tufts vs. Trinity
The Jumbos earned the lone meeting of the season against Trinity this season, as Tufts toppled Trinity 68-59 on Senior Day back on February 1. The win was the last home game for the Jumbos, who have played the last four games on the road. Tufts holds a 27-16 edge over Trinity dating back to 1985, but the last five meetings have sided with the home team dating back to 2022. Last season, Tufts fell at Trinity 57-30, and have averaged just 43.7 points per game in the last three meetings against the Bantams in Hartford. In the NESCAC Tournament, Tufts is 2-0 all-time against Trinity in the NESCAC Tournament, most recently earning its fourth title back in 2023 against Trinity in a 57-38 win.
A Look At The Jumbos (15-9, 5-5 NESCAC)
Tufts will look to make it back to the second weekend of the NESCAC Tournament after missing out on that in 2024. The Jumbos come into the weekend still looking for a consistent offensive performance, as Tufts ranks 11th in the league in scoring at just 60.8 points per game. The Jumbos though have been fantastic defensively, as their rank second in the conference in steals per game with 9.6 while adding the league's top turnover margin at 3.38 per game.
Tufts also has done a nice job at making its shots at the free throw line, making 74.8 percent which ranks 28th nationally and second in the league behind just Wesleyan's 78.5 percent. The problem though is that Tufts has gotten to the line just 13.46 times per game, the least amount in the conference this season.
Tufts has been led by senior guard
Sofia Gonzalez this season, as she leads the team in scoring with 13.2 points per game. She ranks 10th in the NESCAC in scoring, while her 5.9 rebounds per game are 16th most in the conference. Gonzalez has made 45 triples this season, fifth-most in the NESCAC, while her 52 thefts ranks second in the conference.
First-year guard
Monet Witherspoon also in averaging double-digits this season offensively, tallying 11.2 points per game on 44.1 percent shooting which includes making 37.3 percent from three-point range. Witherspoon ranks fourth in the conference in three-point percentage, and her field goal rate overall is eighth-best. Witherspoon is 10th in the conference in steals per game with 1.5.
Sophomore
Stella Galanes has come on of late as she ranks 15th in the league in scoring in NESCAC-only play with 11.9 points per game. She has made 17 triples in NESCA action, two per game on average.
Senior
Caitlyn O'Boyle leads the team with 7.2 rebounds per game, ninth-best in the NESCAC, and
Annika Decker has the third-most assists in the league with 90 along with a strong 2.0 assist-turnover ratio.
A Look At The Bantams (17-7, 6-4 NESCAC)
Trinity has lost three of its last four games just like Tufts, but it's lone win came against the second-seeded Mules of Colby College last weekend, a 67-60 win.
The Bantams are one of the best three-point shooting teams in the nation, shooting the 10th-best clip from behind the arc on the season at 35.6 percent. Trinity has the NESCAC's best scoring offense in the league at 70.5 points per game, and also ranks high in assist to turnover ratio nationally.
Trinity has the league's top three-point shooting threat in Olivia Vick, who ranks fourth in Division III in three-point percentage at 47.4 percent. She also is second in the NESCAC in three-pointers made with 55, and also is in the NESCAC top five in scoring with 16.6 points and free throw percentage 80.7 percent.
Behind Vick, Avery Marzo and Melissa Whitmore each are averaging over eight points per game, while Madie Forman is fourth in the league in rebounding with 8.8 per contest. She also ranks sixth in blocks with 29 this season. Samantha Slofkiss and Theresa Twardosky come off the bench to each score over six points per game as well for the Bantams.
Trinity is in search of its first NESCAC title ever.
--JUMBOS--
