Statistics
MEDFORD, Mass. -- No.11 Tufts University took its first lead of the contest with the initial hoop of the 4th quarter and pulled away to a 69-55 women's basketball decision against the University of New England on Sunday afternoon (Nov. 27) at Cousens Gymnasium.
After Maggie Russell converted a three-point play in the waning seconds of the 3rd period to knot things for the third time (2-2, 44-44, 52-52), the Jumbos turned in a 12-1 start to the final frame to seize control before the midway mark. Russell had the go-ahead score, and six more during the run.
Tufts (5-0) got a game-best 24 points out of Russell, along with eight rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Sofia Gonzalez drained half of the squad's 12 three-pointers, going 6-of-10 from deep to total 18 points. Callie O'Brien accounted for 12 points and five assists, while Annika Decker had nine points from behind the arc and put up six assists as well as four steals.
For the Nor'easters (4-3),
Kaylee Beyor registered 16 points and
Keagan Dunbar notched 12, while each collected seven boards. Nine points came from
Juliana Tracey, and both
Jordyn Franzen and
Faye Veilleux provided eight points. Franzen also had a match-high 11 caroms, leading a 38-36 edge in the rebounding department.
UNE had shot over 50 percent (22-of-42) through 30 minutes, but only made one attempt the rest of the way.
The visitors began quickly in the 1st with nine unanswered to go up 11-2. In spite of 10-of-14 accuracy from the field -- including 3-for-5 on three-pointers -- en route to their second-highest scoring quarter of the season, the Nor'easter cushion was cut to five (25-20) after 10 minutes with a late five from Gonzalez and Russell, who were the only two to score for the Jumbos in the stanza.
The first seven in the 2nd established UNE's largest advantage (32-20), but triples by Gonzalez, Decker, and O'Brien kept bringing Tufts back in key moments. By the halftime break, the gap was just two (37-35), and things remaining tight for the duration of the penultimate period.
With their non-conference portion of the schedule now complete, the Nor'easters open up the Commonwealth Coast Conference slate on Wednesday (5:30 p.m.) at home versus Gordon College.
