Women's Hoops Drops Senior Day Affair To Bates Sunday

MEDFORD, MA (February 15, 2026) -- The Tufts University women's basketball team honored seniors Annie Aspesi and Sarah Crossett prior to Sunday afternoon's regular season finale against No. 11 Bates College, but the visiting Bobcats were too much as the Jumbos dropped a 68-50 decision in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) play from Cousens Gymnasium. 

After the Senior Day festivities, the Jumbos were slow to get going as Bates (21-3, 8-2 NESCAC) raced out to a quick 18-8 lead in the first 5:30 of the game, as a Sophie Spolter bucket gave the visiting Bobcats a 10-point lead. The Bobcats would push their edge up to as much as 17 points in the first half, eventually leading by 14 at the break 39-25. 

Ava James led all scorers in the opening 20 minutes for Bates, while first-year guard Tessa Lozner paced the Jumbos with nine points. 

Tufts closed to within 12 points at two occasions in the second half, the latest with 9:44 left in the game on a Crossett lay-up, but that would be the closest the Jumbos would get as Bates pulled away for the win. 

The Jumbos were led by a pair of first-year guards, as Lozner finished 5-of-11 from the floor while going 6-of-10 at the line for 16 points. Lozner also finished with a team-high nine rebounds, a career-high for the first-year. Abby Congdon also tallied 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting, pulling in five rebounds as well. 

Crossett tallied seven points, five boards and two assists in her final collegiate home game as the Jumbos shot 31.5 percent (17-54) overall. The Jumbos were cold from three-point land on Sunday, making only two of their 21 shots from deep. 

Bates got 19 points from James, leading four Bobcat players in double figures. Spolter had 12 points and six rebounds in the win, while Mya Hicks and Elsa Daulerio had 11 and 10 points, respectively. Bates shot 45 percent from three-point territory Sunday (9-20), going 27-of-58 (46.6 percent) overall. 

Tufts forced 15 turnovers for the game, holding a slight 12-7 edge in points off turnovers, but the three-point shooting proved to be the difference. 

The loss dropped the Jumbos (13-11, 4-6 NESCAC) into the eighth spot in the standings, as Tufts will now head on the road for the NESCAC Quarterfinals next Saturday, February 21 at 2 p.m. to take on top seed and No. 7 Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine.