LOVE'S LAST-SECOND HOOP KNOCKS OFF UNDEFEATED WESLEYAN
COLLEGE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL FINAL SCORE
Tufts 47 Wesleyan 46
At Middletown, CT
Saturday, January 17, 2004
MIDDLETOWN, Conn. -- The Tufts University Women's Basketball team ended Wesleyan's 11-game team-record win streak when junior Allison Love (Duxbury, MA) caught a pass at the free-throw line, turned to her left and after a couple of dribbles, put up a left-handed roller that found the hoop as time expired to give Tufts a 47-46 win in a thrilling New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) game on Saturday afternoon.
With the win, their fourth straight, Tufts improved to 8-2 overall and 2-0 in NESCAC. Wesleyan (11-1, 1-1) lost for the first time this season.
Wesleyan had pulled away from a 35-35 tie with 11:52 to go by scoring eight straight points for a 43-35 advantage with seven minutes to go. Tufts then held Wesleyan without a point on its next 10 possessions while getting a pair of Love free throws, a basket from senior Erin Buckley (East Sandwich, MA) that ended a string of nearly 10 minutes without a field goal for Tufts, and two more free throws from sophomore Julia Verplank (Zeeland, MI) to make the score 43-41 with 2:38 to go.
Several changes of possession later, Buckley scored to tie the game and was fouled. She missed the free throw, but Tufts got the rebound and Buckley was fouled in the act again. Her two free throws put Tufts up 45-43 with 27 seconds left. After a Wesleyan timeout, junior Nora Bowman drove the right side of the lane for a lay-up and was fouled. Her free throw with 0:18 showing put Wesleyan ahead, 46-45.
Wesleyan was ranked 18th nationally in the latest d3hoops.com poll. Tufts is unranked but coming off a 25-point win against Emmanual, ranked 27th, earlier in the week.
The Jumbos were led by Love's 12 points, while Buckley finished with seven. Love and senior tri-captain Maritsa Christoudias (Saddle River, NJ) had six rebounds apiece. The Jumbos shot just 34.5 percent (19/55), including only 26.9 percent (7/26) in the second half when they overcame a 30-26 halftime deficit. They allowed Wesleyan only six field goals in the second half.
Hannah Stubbs scored 12 points with 12 rebounds for Wesleyan.
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