16th RANKED JUMBOS STOP SAINTS
Jan. 7, 2009
BOSTON, Mass. - The Tufts University women's basketball team put together a 13-0 run in the final four and a half minutes to defeat Emmanuel, 65-55, in non-conference action played in the Jean Yawkey Center. The 16th-ranked Jumbos trailed by as many as 11 points in the second half, before forging ahead as the Saints went scoreless in the waning minutes of play. With the win, Tufts improves to 8-1 on the season, while Emmanuel drops to 5-5.
The battle featured 5 lead changes and 7 ties. The Saints held the lead for the majority of the first half. Emmanuel was up 28-26, before Tufts' senior forward Katie Tausanovitch (Lyme, NH) drained a jumper on a Jumbos' fastbreak with 3 seconds remaining in the first half, which sent the contest into halftime knotted at 28-28.
Emmanuel came out of the break strong, mounting a 15-4 run, which was fueled by two quick baskets by junior guard Iman Davis (Toms River, N.J.) and a four-point play by sophomore guard Kristin LeBel (Tolland, Conn.). LeBel's trifecta and subsequent freethrow put the Saints up 11 (43-32) with 15:56 to play.
Senior guard Kim Moynihan (West Hartford, Conn.) led the Jumbos charge, scoring all 17 of her points in the second stanza. With 4:30 to play, the Saints held a 55-52 advantage. After a Tausanovitch bucket and 7-straight points from junior forward Julia Baily (Farmington, Conn.), the Jumbos led, 61-55. Moynihan then sealed the win down the stretch, hitting four free throws in the final 30 seconds, as Tufts came away with a 65-55 win.
Moynihan led Tufts with her 17 points. She was perfect from the free throw line (6-6), grabbed 8 boards, and dished out 5 assists. Baily recorded a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Tausanovitch shot a perfect 4-4 from the field, scoring 9 points, to go along with her 9 boards. Sophomore guard Colleen Hart (Needham, Mass.) chipped in with 9 points and a team-high 6 assists for the Jumbos.
Emmanuel was led by Davis, who netted a game-high 21 points on 9-22 shooting. LeBel added 14 points and 4 assists, while sophomore point guard Casey Shevlin (Medford, N.Y.) dished out a game-high 8 assists in the effort. The Saints' defense forced 20 Tufts' turnovers, while Emmanuel committed just 11 turnovers for the game. The Jumbos held a huge advantage on the boards, out-rebounding Emmanuel, 59-34, in the win.
The Saints are back in action on Saturday afternoon. Emmanuel will host the Polar Bears of Bowdoin College on 1/10 in a 1pm start. Tufts travels to Bates on Saturday for a 2pm tip.