MIDDLEBURY HANDS TUFTS ITS SIXTH STRAIGHT LOSS, 68-59
COLLEGE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL FINAL SCORE
Middlebury 68
Tufts 59
At Medford
Saturday, January 22, 2005
MEDFORD – Visiting Middlebury College knocked off Tufts University, 68-59, in NESCAC women's basketball action at Cousens Gym on Saturday afternoon. The win stopped a three-game slide for the Panthers (8-8, 2-2 NESCAC) and it extended Tufts' losing streak to six games.
Juniors Maryanne Verzosa (Jamaica, NY) and Micaela McVary (Springfield, IL) were the leaders of a Middlebury squad that shot 46.4 percent (26/56) from the floor and won the battle of the boards 46-32. Verzosa hit 6 of 9 shots, including three trifectas, to post a game-high 17 points. McVary grabbed 15 rebounds to go with 12 points and three assists.
Tufts (8-7, 0-4 NESCAC) hit just 32.3 percent of its shots (21/65). Senior co-captain Allison Love (Duxbury, MA) paced the Jumbos with 16 points and seven rebounds. Junior Laura Jasinski (Leverett, MA) had a team-high nine rebounds with eight points and three blocks.
Middlebury was able to answer Tufts' momentum at key points throughout the game. After the Jumbos gained an early 10-7 lead, the Panthers scored the next 10 points to go up 17-10 on a lay-up by Carlie Harrington (Duxbury, MA) at 11:09. Tufts closed to within four twice, but the Panthers retaliated and led by 11 at the break, 33-22. They closed the half with a 14-7 spurt led by five points from senior co-captain Elyse Carlson (Braintree, MA).
The Jumbos, looking for their first NESCAC win, opened the second half with a 15-2 run that gave them a 37-35 advantage on a three-pointer by senior co-captain Erin Connolly (Syosset, NY) with 14:59 on the clock. Five different Jumbos scored during the run. Middlebury again turned the momentum, this time for good, with a 21-3 stretch that gave the Panthers a 16-point lead, 56-40, on a free throw by Carlson at 7:45. McVary's six points highlighted the seven-minute Panther push. Tufts sliced the margin to single-digits, but never got closer than eight points the rest of the way.
Middlebury finished with four scorers in double figures. Freshman Erin Lackey (Franklin Lakes, NJ) added 12 points and six rebounds. The Panthers hit 7 of 17 three-pointers (41.2%) in the game, with Carlson and Lackey adding two apiece.
Tufts, which matched its worst losing streak since 1999, also got 11 points from sophomore guard Valerie Krah (Mounttain Lakes, NJ) and 11 assists from junior guard Jessica Powers (Massapequa, NY).
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