Tufts 61
Colby 41
At Medford
Friday, January 13, 2006
MEDFORD – An 18-3 run during a four-minute stretch in the first half propelled the Tufts University women's basketball team to an 18-point lead and it was smooth sailing from there as the Jumbos posted a 61-41 victory over Colby College in the NESCAC opener for both teams on Friday night at Cousens Gymnasium.
Tufts, who were led by 15 points from junior Valerie Krah (Mountain Lakes, NJ), improved to 7-5 overall and 1-0 in the conference. The victory was revenge for a 59-54 loss to the Mules last year that was Colby's only win in league play. Visiting Colby, led by 10 points from junior Tracy Nale (Waterville, ME), dropped to 5-7 and 0-1.
After a slow start by both teams in the first half, Nale pulled Colby to within 12-9 on a jumper at 8:58. The Jumbos then initiated their 18-3 stretch that gave them a 30-12 advantage with 4:30 on the clock. Six players contributed to the run, led by five points from Krah.
Tufts had a 34-18 lead at halftime, with eight different players scoring points. Senior tri-captain Jessica Powers (Massapequa, NY) had eight at the break to lead the Jumbos. Colby, which turned the ball over 17 times in the first 20 minutes, was led by seven points from senior Kate Emery (Westford, MA) at the half.
The margin quickly advanced to 20 points for Tufts in the second half. They scored six of the first eight points and led 40-20 on a Krah jumper at 16:53. Two free throws by Colby freshman Courtney Williams (Norwood, MA) reduced the Jumbo lead to 17, 41-24, with 15:26 on the clock. However, that's the closest the Mules would get the rest of the way. The Tufts lead was in the 20s for the final 12 minutes and twice reached 26.
Powers finished with 14 points and three steals and junior center Libby Park (Massena, NY) added nine points, six rebounds and two blocks to support the Jumbo effort. Junior Laura Jasinski (Leverett, MA) led the hosts with eight rebounds, while sophomore Jenna Gomez (Norfolk, MA) had four of the 18 Tufts steals on 34 Colby turnovers. Tufts had a 27-8 advantage in points off turnovers for the game and also dominated inside by a 34-14 margin for points in the paint.
Emery nearly finished with a double-double for the visitors, recording nine points and nine rebounds. Sophomore Katie McCabe (Watertown, CT) posted seven points and seven rebounds for the Mules. Freshman Lauren Duval (Shrewsbury, MA) was productive with four points, five rebounds and three steals in 15 minutes.
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