Teams: Women's Basketball: Schedule & Results

Game Statistics

Jenna Gomez scored a career-high 19 points for the Jumbos

MEDFORD -- Tufts University's Khalilah Ummah (Litchfield, ME), Jenna Gomez (Norfolk, MA) and Katie Tausanovitch (Lyme, NH) combined for 55 points on 25 for 36 shooting (69.4 percent) as the Jumbo women's basketball team thumped Bowdoin College, 83-56, in a NESCAC game at Cousens Gym on Friday night.

The win was the 20th of the season for Tufts (20-2, 6-2 NESCAC), breaking the team record for victories set by the 1986-87 Tufts team that went 19-3. The 27-point final margin was the biggest loss ever in NESCAC play for the visiting Polar Bears (17-6, 6-2), and their worst loss overall since 1995. The win was Tufts' first over Bowdoin since December 1994.

Ummah finished with a game-high 20 points, knocking down 10 of 16 shots, and added 12 rebounds. Gomez scored on 8 of 12 shots and had a career-high 19 points. Tausanovitch was 7 for 8 from the floor and tallied 16 points. The Jumbos shot 57.8 percent overall (37/64) and the 83 points were the most they scored in a game since December 2006 against Wellesley (90-45).

Bowdoin was overmatched in the post, especially with leader Jill Anelauskas (Medfield, MA) not at full-strength. She played 13 minutes, including just two in the second half. First-year Katie Bergeron (Bradley, ME) led the Polar Bears with 15 points.

The game was tied at 13-13 before Tufts took the lead for good on a lay-up by sophomore Julia Baily (Farmington, CT) at 11:29. That was the start of a 25-6 run by the Jumbos that gave them a 38-19 advantage with 1:30 to go until halftime. They led 42-25 at the break. Tausanovitch scored eight points during the big Tufts run and had 12 at the half. Gomez had 10 and Ummah scored eight. Bergeron led Bowdoin with eight points at intermission.

Tufts expanded the lead in the second half. It surpassed 20 points, 50-29, on Ummah's lay-up at 16:27. The lead touched 30 points (72-42) on another lay-up by Ummah at 7:09. The margin topped out at 35 points, 77-42, after a three-point play by sophomore guard Katie Wholey (Marshfield, MA) with 5:52 on the clock. Tufts shot even better in the second half, hitting at 60 percent (18/30).

The Jumbos dominated the boards, collecting 43 rebounds to 19 for Bowdoin. They were credited with 21 assists, led by five each from guards Colleen Hart (Needham, MA) and Vanessa Miller (Cincinnati, OH). Baily recorded eight points, four rebounds and two blocks.

Bergeron led three Polar Bears who scored in double digits. Junior Alexa Kaubris (Rumford, ME) finished with 13 points, hitting 5 of 8 shots including three three-pointers. Sophomore Caitlin Hynes (Owl's Head, ME) scored 11 points. The Polar Bears hit eight three-pointers in the game, with Bergeron also netting three.

Tufts, Bowdoin and Amherst are tied for first place in NESCAC with 6-2 records heading into the final day of the regular season tomorrow. The victory clinched a home court berth into the conference tournament for Tufts. They still have a chance at earning the #1 seed, depending on NESCAC results tomorrow.

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