For Immediate Release
December 8, 2007
Wellesley Sports Information
Wellesley Basketball Falls to Nationally-Ranked Tufts, 61-40
Box Score
WELLESLEY, MA –Despite a solid first-half performance, Wellesley basketball fell to a strong Tufts squad this afternoon, 61-40. The Blue drop to 3-5 on the season, while the Jumbos, ranked 24th in the nation, maintain a perfect 9-0 record, the best start in program history.
Wellesley opened the game with back-to-back jumpers from Jessica Duff (Milton, Abingdon, UK) and Courtney Richter (Sinking Springs, MD) to take an early 4-0 lead. The Jumbos closed the gap with four points from Jenna Gomez (Farmington, CT), including two free throws and a 15-footer. But the Blue kept the pressure on when Duff and Katie Martore (Great Falls, VA) sank two more jumpers for an 8-4 edge. After a Tufts timeout, the Jumbos increased their defensive pressure and tallied four straight points off Wellesley turnovers. The Blue regrouped and battled to a 13-10 lead, but a 14-1 run, led by Gomez and Khaliliah Ummah (Litchfield, ME) gave the Jumbos a 24-14 edge with 4:50 remaining in the half.
Tufts stretched the lead to 28-16 before Wellesley went on a run of its own, narrowing the gap to 28-21 on a three-pointer from Courtney Pelley (Leiscester, MA). The Jumbos answered with a five consecutive points from Colleen Hart (Needham, MA) to stretch the lead back to 33-23 with 1:00 left on the clock. Wellesley responded with three unanswered points, including a Richter freethrow with no time remaining, cutting the lead to seven at halftime, 33-26.
Wellesley opened the second half with four points, including a three-pointer from Laura Barrett (Dobbs Ferry, NY), trimming the Jumbos’ lead to 33-30. But that was as close as the Blue would get, as the Jumbos went on a 5-2 run to take a 38-32 lead at the 14:00 minute mark. After trading buckets, the Jumbos surged ahead for good as Hart sank consecutive three-pointers to give her teammates a 46-34 lead with 9:30 left. Two possessions later, Lindsay Weiner (Rockville, MD) sank a 12-footer to stretch the lead to 14. The Tufts run continued and, as Hart drained her fourth trey, the Jumbos took a commanding 57-36 lead. The teams traded baskets in the final minutes, with Tufts earning the 61-40 win.
Hart led all scorers with 15 points, including a four-of-seven performance from three-point range. Ummah and Gomez added eight points each, as Julia Bailey (Farmington, CT) chipped in seven. The Jumbos out-rebounded the Blue 37-21, with Bailey and Katie Tausanovitch (Lyme, NH) grabbing seven boards a piece.
The Blue were led by Duff with 13 points, Pelley with 10, and Richter with seven. Katie Martore (Great Falls, VA) added four points, five assists and three steals in the effort.
The Blue will return to action on Friday, December 28, when they travel to the Land of Magic Classic to take on Connecticut College in a 6:00 p.m. game. Tufts will take the court again on January 5, when they travel to Fitchburg State for a 1:00 p.m. tip-off.