MEDFORD, MA (January 20, 2026) -- The Tufts University women's basketball team forced 15 turnovers and outscored No. 4 Smith College 42-31 in the middle quarters to post one of the biggest upsets of the 2025-26 season, taking down the previously unbeaten Bears 60-57 in non-conference play from Cousens Gymnasium Tuesday evening.
The win marks the first win over a top four ranked squad since the Jumbos topped Amherst College back on January 18, 2020 when the Jumbos were ranked No. 1 in the nation while Amherst was No. 4. It was also the second straight season that an unranked Jumbo team defeated a Top 10 Smith squad, as Tufts topped the Bears on the road last season 60-50 when Smith was No. 7 in the country. Tufts has now won eight of the last 10 against Smith dating back to 2000.
Tufts (9-8) trailed 11-6 after the opening stanza, but exploded for 28 points in the second frame as the Jumbos went 10-of-16 (62.5 percent) from the floor in the period. The hot shooting including going 5-of-7 from three-point land. With the game tied at 19 with 5:40 to go in the first half, sophomore
Abi Stone hit a lay-up followed by an
Annie Aspesi three-pointer to push Tufts up by five at 24-19.
The Jumbos continued to lead for the remainder of the first half, taking a 34-31 edge into the halftime break.
In the third quarter, Tufts led by two with just under five minutes to play at 37-35 but the Jumbos went on an 8-2 run to take an eight-point edge after a jumper from first-year
Tessa Lozner. A three-pointer by
Annie Aspesi pushed the Jumbos back up by eight just before the end of the third quarter as the hosts took a 48-42 lead into the final stanza after two Smith free throws with 0.2 seconds left in the period.
Tufts' lead would grow to as many as nine with 2:54 to go in regulation on a lay-up by Stone, but Smith wouldn't go away as it scored six straight over the next 1:35 to pull to within three at 57-54. After both teams missed chances, Tufts would get to the free throw line with 22 seconds and Aspesi knocked down two to make it 59-54.
Salem Maher drilled a three-pointer for Smith seconds later with 16 seconds to go, and the Bears fouled to send the Jumbos to the line. Tufts missed both free throws, but
Claire Kolkhorst knocked the rebound off of a Smith player to keep possession for the Jumbos. Stone would get fouled on the ensuing inbound, and hit the second free throw to keep it a one-score game.
After the missed free throw, Smith had two three point shots to tie the game but neither would go as the Jumbos held on for the upset.
Aspesi kept her strong play of late going with another stellar performance, as she finished with 16 points, six rebounds and three steals. Stone finished with 16 points off the bench, making six of her seven field goals, and Lozner added 11 points and three assists.
Kolkhorst also had a solid and productive contest, contributing 10 points and six rebounds, adding three steals while playing solid defense.
The Jumbos shot 37.7 percent for the contest, and were 14-of-23 from the free throw line (60.9 percent). Tufts also had a huge second-chance advantage, tallying a 15-2 mark in that category.
Virginia Johnson posted 15 points for the Bears (14-1), while Maher also tallied 10 points in the loss. Smith was 21-of-45 (46.7 percent) from the field, going 10-of-11 at the line (90.9 percent).
Tufts will look to keep its momentum going into the weekend, taking on Connecticut College at 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) action inside Cousens Gymnasium.
--JUMBOS--
