Teams: Women's Basketball: Schedule & Results

At Amherst, MA
Saturday, March 1, 2008

Game Statistics

First-year guard Colleen Hart scored a game-high 15 points

AMHERST -- The Tufts women's basketball team improved to 23-2 overall and advanced to its second straight NESCAC championship game with a 67-50 victory over Wesleyan University in the semi-final round of the conference tournament on Saturday afternoon at Amherst College.

Coach Carla Berube's Jumbos earned her the 100th victory of her Tufts career in the game. They will now play host Amherst for the 2008 conference championship on Sunday at noon. The Lord Jeffs eliminated seven-time defending champion Bowdoin College, 71-47, in Saturday's other semi-final.

First-year guard Colleen Hart (Needham, MA), a leading Rookie of the Year candidate in the league, had 15 points including three three-pointers to lead Tufts. Junior Katie Tausanovitch (Lyme, NH) was hard to stop as she scored 14 points with six for seven field goal shooting. Sophomore Julia Baily (Farmington, CT) submitted her third double-double of the season with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Wesleyan drops to 17-9 overall and will await word on whether they earn an NCAA Tournament berth. Ali Fourney led the Cardinals with 13 points, six rebounds and four assists. The Cardinals made just one of nine three-point attempts and nine of 23 free throws. Tufts totaled 43 rebounds to 29 by Wes.

Tufts was able to pull away to a 37-29 lead at halftime by taking over late in the first frame. Wesleyan got the quick start, leading 16-7 early. The Cardinals led 24-20 on a jumper by Meredith Love at 6:23. The Jumbos would finish the half with a 17-5 run led by Hart. She scored 11 points in the first half, including five during the run with a three-pointer and a spectacular coast-to-coast drive to the basket.

The Jumbos scored the first two baskets of the second half before a Fourney free throw and two points from Lucy Sprung had the Cardinals within 41-32 at the 18-minute mark. However, the Jumbos responded with a 7-0 spurt capped by a three-pointer from junior Stacy Filocco (Olney, MD) to lead by 16 (48-32) with 13:36 to play. Tufts added seven of the next 10 points to reach a 20-point lead, 55-35, on Jenna Gomez's (Norfolk, MA) bucket at 10:55.

The Cardinals showed some spunk with an 11-4 stretch that cut the deficit to 15 points (63-48) on a three-pointer by Nikki Maletta with 4:58 to play. However, Wesleyan would only score one more basket and Tufts would cruise to the win down the stretch.

Tufts was defeated by Bowdoin College, 64-48, for the NESCAC title last season in Maine. This year they will face an Amherst squad that beat them on a play at the buzzer, 64-62, on January 18. Amherst is 24-2 and ranked #14 by D3Hoops.com, while Tufts is #15.

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