MEDFORD – The Tufts University women's basketball team opened play in the NCAA Tournament on Friday night and used strong play down low to top Pine Manor 87-46 in a first-round game at Cousens Gym. Sophomore Michela North tied a career high with 25 points for the Jumbos, who moved their winning streak to 19.
With the win the Jumbos (27-1) will now face St. John Fisher (22-6) in the second round on Saturday at 5 pm. Pine Manor finishes their season with a 13-10 mark.
The Jumbos took advantage of their height down low and 10 Pine Manor first half turnovers to build a sizable lead in the first half. Down 5-2 just a couple minutes into play, the Jumbos unleashed 11 unanswered points, eight of those coming from North. After a Gator layup by Khiyana Isaac, the Jumbos went back on a streak scoring nine more points before the Gators sunk a bucket to bring the score to 21-9.
With the Jumbos holding on to the 12-point lead with 8:33 left on the clock in the first half, they went on another tear. North scored eight more points and junior Emma Roberson adding five to give the home team the 36-9 advantage.
After a Gator layups from Maria Vaughan and Erica Jones and a couple of foul shots made from Sybil Lynch, Vaughn drained a three pointer to give the Gators a little momentum going into halftime. The Jumbos held a 38-18 lead, with North turning in 21 first half points. Vaughan and Jones both had seven for Pine Manor.
The Gators came out of the half with that same momentum and used three points from Isaac and four from Jones to cut the Jumbos' lead to 16 (47-31) with 13:12 left in the second half. But that would be as close as the Gators would get, as the Jumbos continued to apply offensive pressure.
Halfway through the second half senior tri-captain Hayley Kanner nailed three consecutive jump shots to give the Jumbos a 56-33 advantage. Twelve total Jumbos scored in the game and the hosts used a collective effort to build their lead. With just over four minutes left in the game the Jumbos had their largest lead of the night with a 35-point (77-42) advantage.
Jones finished with 16 points for the Gators, while Vaughan had 12. Natasia Franklin recorded six points and four steals for Pine Manor.
North's 25 points led the Jumbo and matched her career-high which she reached earlier this season at Emmanuel. She also had four blocks and 13 rebounds for the home team. Kanner and fellow classmate and tri-captain Kelsey Morehead each finished with 11 points, with Kanner adding three blocks and seven boards.
The Saint John Fisher College Cardinals were 62-60 winners over Skidmore in the first game of the evening on Friday.
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