MEDFORD - Tufts did not lead in regulation, but a baseline jumper by sophomore Michela North in the final seconds put the game in overtime where the Jumbos earned a 72-67 victory against St. John Fisher College in an epic NCAA Div. III Women's Basketball Championship second round game Saturday at Cousens Gym.
Jumbo senior tri-captain Kelsey Morehead, who missed 14 games in the middle of the season with a knee injury and only recently returned, scored 15 of her Tufts-high 19 points in the second half and overtime including several big three-pointers to lead the Jumbos (28-1).
On the other side, St. John Fisher senior co-captain Portia Velasco had seven points in overtime and shared the team-lead in scoring with 17 points. Fellow senior co-captain Sydney Bloomstein had 11 of her 17 in the first half.
The Cardinals (22-7) were up 58-53 with 1:36 remaining in the second half following a layup by first-year Jessica Rhone. Morehead answered with a three pulling Tufts within 58-56. Then Bloomstein was fouled and calmly dropped in both shots giving the Cardinals a 60-56 edge with one minute on the clock.
North rebounded a Tufts miss and was fouled, making both freebies to cut the St. John Fisher lead to 60-58 with 41 seconds left. The Cardinals wound the clock down below 20 seconds and were looking at an opportunity to take at least a four-point lead. However, they turned the ball over on a travel with 17 ticks to go. North hit her short jumper assisted by junior Emma Roberson with four seconds remaining and the game went to overtime tied 60-60.
The teams went back and forth for the first two minutes of overtime with both Morehead and Velasco scoring five points. A three by Morehead, a Cardinal miss and a basket by North had Tufts up 68-64 with 1:57 to go in OT. However, Velasco hit a three at the other end making it a 68-67 lead with 1:25 on the clock.
Jumbo senior tri-captain Hayley Kanner powered towards the hoop and dropped in a floater giving Tufts a 70-67 margin. St. John Fisher would miss its final two shots and was forced to foul, with Morehead adding the final two points to the Tufts win.
St. John Fisher had its largest lead of the game, 43-33, on a layup by junior Claire Walsh with 13:24 on the second-half clock. Tufts called time out and then began gradually making their way back. A pair of Morehead threes helped Tufts out-score the Cardinals 16-8 over the next six minutes narrowing the margin to 51-49 with 6:53 left.
Tufts would even the score for the first time in the game at 53-53 on a layup by North at 2:52. However, a three-point play by first-year Lunden Cunningham led to Rhone's layup putting the Cardinals up by five before the Jumbos came back in the final 96 seconds.
St. John Fisher shot 48 percent (12/25) in the first half. They led by as many as nine points in the period, 25-16, on a Velasco layup at the five-minute mark. Tufts closed to within 29-25 at the break as sophomore Josie Lee scored with two seconds remaining.
The Cardinal lead was cut to two points on three occasions, including 33-31 when Roberson netted a jumper at 17:36. St. John Fisher went on a 10-2 run from there including four points by Velasco to take their 10-point advantage.
Head coach Carla Berube's Jumbos advance to their fourth straight NCAA "Sweet 16" and the program's fifth overall. Tufts will host Eastern Connecticut in the round of 16 next Friday. The site and game time has not yet been announced.
Four Jumbos scored in double digits today, including 18 points (8/11 FGs) to go with 14 rebounds from North. Kanner added 13 points, eight rebounds, a team-high six assists and three blocks. Roberson finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Morehead made five for 10 from three-point territory. Tufts finished +12 in rebounds (48-36), including 27 on the offensive end.
Bloomstein added a team-high eight rebounds for SJF. Junior Mary Kate Cusack scored 15 points with three steals for the Cardinals. The visitors were 11 of 11 from the free throw line.
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