WORCESTER --- Senior Spencer Vinson (Los Angeles, CA) had a team-high 18 points and five rebounds, but the WPI women's basketball team lost to visiting Tufts, the No. 2 team in the country 56-44 Saturday afternoon at Harrington Auditorium. 

WPI is now 5-3 overall while the Jumbos are a perfect 7-0 on the season and figure to ascend to the top of D3hoops.com Top 25 following Amherst's loss earlier this week. 

Vinson was 8-of-14 from the floor, and added three blocks and an assist in 29 minutes of action.  She scored six of her points in the first half, which closed with WPI trailing by three, 21-18. 

Erica DeCandido (North Wales, PA) posted a double-double for Tufts, scoring 18 points, including 10-for-11 from the free throw line, and grabbing 13 rebounds, while Sofia Rosa (Sudbury MA) scored 14 points, gobbled up seven boards and doled out three assists off the bench.  Molly Ryan (Westfield, NJ) also excelled, netting nine points, corralling five boards, dishing out two assists and swiping a pair of steals and Emily Briggs (Canton CT) chipped in with eight points for the Jumbos, who used a 15-0 run in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach. 

Senior Alana Keating (Leominster, MA) and Melanie Presseau (Manchester, NH) scored seven points apiece, sophomore Alex Scariati (Scotch Plains, NJ) added six points, and sophomore McKenna Finken (Simsbury, CT) and junior Sara Lyons (Pittsford, NY) grabbed six rebounds each for the Engineers.  Scariati shared game-high assist honors with three. 

Both teams defenses limited the other team to under 40% shooting from the floor.  Each team did shine from the free line where Tufts, which attempted 20 freebies, compared to the Crimson and Gray's five, drained 17-of-20 (85%) while WPI canned 4-of-5 (80%). 

WPI is off next week for final exams and will travel to Bates for a 3pm start on Tuesday, December 17th.   Tufts is also on the road next, traveling to Bridgewater State for a 5:30pm tip this Tuesday.