MEDFORD - In one of its finest defensive efforts of the season, the Tufts women's basketball team advanced to the NCAA Championship "Sweet 16" with a 53-35 victory over Babson in the second round on Saturday night at Cousens Gym.
The Jumbos, 25-2 overall, will face NESCAC rival Amherst in the round of 16 next Friday (Mar. 8). The site of the NCAA Sectional has not yet been announced. Babson College, which was making its fifth straight NCAA appearance, finished the season at 26-3.
Tufts was the second-ranked defensive team in the nation entering the weekend allowing 43.4 points per game. The 35 points they allowed to Babson matched the Beavers' season-low. Babson made just nine field goals in the game on 36 attempts for a .250 field goal percentage.
Sophomore Hannah Foley (Concord, MA) scored 18 points to lead Tufts, which was also held to a low .286 shooting percentage (16/56) by the Beavers. Sophomore Hayley Kanner (Scarsdale, NY) added 11 points to help the Jumbos advance to the "Sweet 16" for the second straight year and for the third time overall.
Babson senior Sarah Collins (Weymouth, MA) finished an outstanding career by posting game highs of 20 points, 16 rebounds, and four blocks, along with three steals. She scored 57 percent of Babson's points.
The first 10 minutes of Saturday's game were played closely until a Tufts run put them in charge. Leading 12-11 at the middle point of the first half, the Jumbos opened up the margin with a 14-4 run covering five minutes to take a 26-15 lead with 5:14 left until intermission. Kate Barnosky (Huntington Station, NY) started the stretch with a three-pointer. Kanner then drained her second three in as many nights, and the second of her career, as part of her five points during the run. Foley contributed four.
Foley had 12 points at the half (5 for 5 at the line) with Tufts leading 29-19. Kanner added nine as the sophomore pair carried the Jumbos offensively. Collins recorded nine points, six rebounds, and three blocks in the first 20 minutes for Babson.
Tufts pushed their advantage to 34-19 in the opening minute of the second half on five points by senior co-captain Bre Dufault (Hampden, MA). Babson twice cut the margin to 11 points, including 36-25 after a layup by Collins at the 12-minute mark. The Jumbos scored the next nine points though, including a three-pointer by Dufault, and the lead reached 20 points (45-25) with 6:39 remaining in the second half. Babson got within 16 after a pair of Collins free throws made it 45-29, but Foley hit another three and the Jumbos were soon "Sweet 16" bound.
Kelsey Morehead (Foster City, CA) added to Tufts' sophomore class production with six points, four rebounds, and three assists to go with ball-handling that helped Tufts make only seven turnovers. Dufault finished with eight points, six rebounds, three steals, and two blocks, while Barnosky posted team highs of 10 rebounds and four assists. Foley was three for four from three-point territory.
Babson's Linnett Graber (Roseland, NJ) recorded four points and five rebounds. The Beavers finished with a total of nine blocks. First-year Kristen Ferola (Florence, MA) added seven boards as Babson finished with a 37-36 rebounding edge.
In two NCAA games this weekend, the Jumbos allowed a total of 67 points and .256 field goal pecentage (20/78).
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