Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2003
MEDFORD – The Tufts University Women's Basketball team ran its winning streak to seven games on Monday night with a 90-65 victory over the University of New England. That matches the longest winning streak by a Tufts team since the 1991-92 squad won its first seven games. The Jumbos look to extend the streak to eight games (not done since '90-91) when they play at Johnson & Wales in Providence on Wednesday night (Jan. 15).
Tufts is in its first season under Head Coach Carla Berube, the former UConn star. She has the team playing aggressively on the defensive end, and as a result they were ranked second this week's NESCAC statistics in scoring defense with 47.9 points allowed per game. Offensively, freshman Jessica Powers (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa) has emerged as the leader, but the Jumbos have seven players averaging better than six points per game.
Powers is scoring 14.3 points per game and had 20 in the win over the University of New England, which avenged a 16-point loss to the Nor'easters last season. Sophomore forward Allison Love (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury) is shooting 54.2 percent from the field and averaging 8.8 points with a team-high 5.3 rebounds.
Tufts is off to its best start in 11 years despite losing its top three scorers from last season. Two of those players did not return to the team for their senior season and one graduated. The true test for the Jumbos+ will be the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) season, which starts on Friday night in Medford against Connecticut College.
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