WESLEYAN FENDS OFF TUFTS FOR 74-62 NESCAC VICTORY
COLLEGE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL FINAL SCORE
Wesleyan 74
Tufts 62
At Medford
Friday, January 28, 2005
MEDFORD – The visiting Wesleyan University Cardinals shot the lights out, hitting 61.7 percent of their field goals (29/47) on their way to posting a 74-62 victory at Tufts University in NESCAC women's basketball action on Friday night at Cousens Gym.
The Cardinals, who entered the week just one spot out of the national top 25, improved to 16-1 overall with their fifth straight victory. They are now 4-1 in NESCAC. Tufts, after a 7-0 start, has lost seven in a row to fall to 8-8 overall. The Jumbos are winless in NESCAC at 0-5.
Junior Ashley Mastrangelo (Marblehead, MA) nearly posted a triple-double for the Cardinals, finishing with 20 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Classmate Hannah Stubbs (Arlington, VA) added 18 points, seven rebounds and four blocks. Senior co-captain Sue Frost (Colchester, CT) hit 6 of 7 shots, including all four of her three-point attempts, to tally 16 points.
Tufts junior Jessica Powers (Massapequa, NY) had 16 points and eight assists to pace the Jumbos offensively. Senior co-captain Allison Love (Duxbury, MA) had 12 points and seven rebounds in a solid effort, while sophomore Laura Jasinski (Leverett, MA) grabbed a game-high nine rebounds to go with seven points.
In a well-played game from start-to-finish, Wesleyan shot 65 percent (13/20) in the first half, but led at the break by just five points (33-28). The lead bounced back and forth for the first 14 minutes, then Wes took a five-point lead (28-23) on a jumper by Mastrangelo at 4:16. That capped an 8-2 spurt that gave the Cardinals a lead they would not relinquish. She finished the first half with 11 points, while Love led the Jumbos with eight.
Wesleyan bumped its lead to 10 (40-30) early in the second half on a three-pointer by Frost at 18:05. Tufts used an 11-4 run in the middle of the second half to cut the deficit down to two points, 54-52, after a three-pointer by senior co-captain Erin Connolly (Syosset, NY) at 8:45. The Cardinals would not give up the lead, and scored the next seven points for a 61-52 margin at the six-minute mark.
The Jumbos kept themselves in the game and trailed by only five, 63-58, when Powers converted two free throws with 4:15 on the clock. Wesleyan again responded, scoring seven of the next nine points for a 70-60 advantage on a lay-up by Mastrangelo at 1:40. Tufts would not get any closer than eight points in the final 100 seconds.
Tufts, whose current losing streak is the program's longest since 1999, also received 11 points – including three threes – from Connolly. Wesleyan, which out-scored Tufts 11-3 at the foul line, was credited with 23 assists on 29 baskets. Senior co-captain Nora Bowman (Guilford, CT) added six.
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