MEDFORD, MA (February 6, 2026) -- The Tufts University women's basketball held visiting Amherst College to three total made field goals in the second and third quarters, rallying to pick up an important 49-44 win inside Cousens Gymnasium in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) action Friday night.
The victory was the third straight and fifth in the last six games for the Jumbos (12-9, 4-4 NESCAC), who pulled into a tie for fourth place in the league with the win.
Tufts struggled early in the game, and had just six points with four minutes to play in the first half but first-year guard
Tessa Lozner spurred a 12-3 run over the final 3:48 of the period with nine points of her own to make the score 19-18 at the halftime break. Tufts had trailed 12-4 after the first quarter, and was down 10 twice in the first half but the defense helped fuel the comeback late in the stanza.
Amherst would score the first four points of the second half to take a 23-18 lead, but the Jumbos went on a big 18-3 run over the final 6:07 of the third quarter as they went 6-of-9 from the floor including big three-pointers by junior
Stella Galanes and sophomore
Claire Kolkhorst to take a 36-26 edge into the fourth.
The Jumbos would continue to keep Amherst cold from the floor, as the Mammoths went nearly nine minutes without a made field goal until Reagan Pahl hit a three-pointer to make it 36-29 Tufts just 20 seconds into the final stanza.
Senior
Annie Aspesi answered with a three-pointer and Tufts pushed its lead out to as many as 12 at 46-34 with 5:13 to go on an
Abby Congdon layup. The Mammoths wouldn't go away though, getting as close as two at 46-44 after two made free throws by Annie McCarthy with 41 seconds left.
Galanes would nail two free throws on the next Jumbos' possession to make it a two-score game, and Aspesi sealed the win with a steal late to give the Jumbos their first home win over Amherst since the 2014-15 season. Tufts made the Final Four that season, also winning the NESCAC that campaign.
Lozner was key offensively when the Jumbos needed a jolt, as she was 7-of-15 from the field on the way to 15 points. Lozner added seven rebounds and three assists.
Galanes finished with 13 points, going 7-of-8 at the charity stripe, and Congdon tallied six points, eight rebounds and four steals. Kolkhorst also drilled two triples for six points, and senior Senior Crossett came off the bench to score four points in addition to her six caroms.
Tufts shot just 28.6 percent from the field on the night (16-56), but was solid at the line going 12-of-14 (85.7 percent). Tufts also forced 21 Amherst turnovers Friday evening, and posted a 14-4 edge in fast break points.
Amherst was paced by 11 points from Laura Mendell, who also finished with six rebounds, and Chase Anderson tallied 10 points, six rebounds and four blocks. The Mammoths were 14-of-47 (29.8 percent) overall, finishing 4-of-22 (18.2 percent) from behind the arc.
The Jumbos will take on Hamilton College Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. in Cousens Gymnasium in an important NESCAC tilt.
--JUMBOS--
