COLLEGE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL FINAL SCORE
Tufts 93
Trinity 76
At Medford
Saturday, January 31, 2004
MEDFORD – All five Tufts starters scored in double figures as the Jumbos earned a 93-76 victory over Trinity College in NESCAC women's basketball action on Saturday afternoon at Cousens Gymnasium. Sophomore guard Julia Verplank (Zeeland, MI) and junior forward Allison Love (Duxbury, MA) scored 18 points apiece to lead Tufts.
The Jumbos, who improved to 7-0 at home, are now 4-1 in NESCAC and 12-4 overall. They've won three straight and finished January with an 8-2 mark. Tufts is in a three-way tie for second in the conference with Bates and Williams. The Bantams, who featured game-high scorer Catherine Maher's (Newtown, CT) 20 points, lost their fifth in a row to fall to 8-9 overall and 1-5 in the conference.
Tufts gained control of the game with a 9-0 run in the middle of the first half. With the score tied at 16-16, the Jumbos surged to a 25-16 lead on a jumper by senior tri-captain Maritsa Christoudias (Saddle River, NJ) at 9:04. The hosts would not trail again, and their lead would be double-digits for most of the remainder. It grew to as many as 16 points (37-21) in the first half when sophomore Katherine Miller (Bangor, ME) netted a jumper at 5:41. Tuft led 48-33 at the break, with Love's nine points leading 11 Tufts scorers in the half. Maher had 12 at halftime for Trinity.
The Bantams fought back in the second half. They cut the lead to 11, 55-44, on a lay-up by Maher to cap an 8-1 run with 15:30 on the clock. Twice they got within 10 points as the clock neared the 10-minute mark. Tufts was able to push the margin back up to 19, 77-58, on a lay-up by Verplank at 7:29. The Bantams then again whittled it down to 11, 83-72, after a three by sophomore Kerri Stumpo (Walpole, MA) at 2:43.
The Jumbos would ultimately win comfortably due to their success at the free throw line. They were 34 for 41 overall (82.9 percent), and 21 for 27 in the second half (77.8%). Conversely, Trinity went to the foul line just 13 times all game, converting on 10 attempts.
Senior tri-captain Erin Buckley (East Sandwich, MA) was 8 for 8 from the line and finished with 12 points and three blocks. Tufts forced Trinity into 28 turnovers that led to 17 Jumbo steals, five each by Verplank and Christoudias (10 points, 7 rebounds).
Junior Rebecca Bell (Colorado Springs, CO) was fantastic with 18 points, 11 rebounds and five assists for the Bantams. Trinity was out-scored just 45-43 in the second half after falling behind by 15 in the first half.
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