Gulls fall to Jumbos in non-conference finale
February 14, 2011
Boxscore
Medford, Mass. - The Tufts University women's basketball team defeated visiting Endicott 60-47 in the Gulls' final regular season non-conference game Monday night at Cousens gym.
Tufts, solid in the first half and sluggish in the second, was led by 16 points from senior guard Colleen Hart (Needham, Mass.). The Jumbos head into the post-season at 18-5. Endicott, down 20 at halftime, fought back in the second half before dropping to a 14-8 record overall. The Gulls got 11 points from senior center Ashley Vitale (Wilmington, Mass.), all in the second half.
Medford, Mass. - The Tufts University women's basketball team defeated visiting Endicott 60-47 in the Gulls' final regular season non-conference game Monday night at Cousens gym.
Tufts, solid in the first half and sluggish in the second, was led by 16 points from senior guard Colleen Hart (Needham, Mass.). The Jumbos head into the post-season at 18-5. Endicott, down 20 at halftime, fought back in the second half before dropping to a 14-8 record overall. The Gulls got 11 points from senior center Ashley Vitale (Wilmington, Mass.), all in the second half.
The Jumbos led 40-20 at halftime, with sophomore Collier Clegg (Evanston, Ill.) leading the way. Clegg hit four more three-pointers in the first half and had 12 points at the break. Tufts shot 50 percent overall (17-34) and from beyond the arc (6-12).
The Gulls, who turned the ball over 13 times in the first half, were led by five points at the break by freshman Jennifer White (Lisbon, N.H.).
An 11-0 Tufts run during a three-minute stretch gave the Jumbos a 16-5 lead at the 13:32 mark. Two three-pointers by Clegg and another by Miller powered the surge.
The Gulls got back within 16-8 on White's three at 11:56, but the hosts initiated a 14-2 stretch that put them up 30-10 at 5:48. Tufts got baskets from six different players during the run.
Endicott had an 8-2 answer, including a traditional three-point play from freshman guard Ashley Walenta (Plainfield, Conn.), to make it a 32-18 game, but Tufts had the last surge to lead by 20 at the break.
Clegg opened the second half with another three-pointer, but Tufts would score just six points in the first 11+ minutes of the period. Vitale had nine points during a 14-6 Endicott advantage that pulled the Gulls within 46-34 at the 10:32 mark. They would continue their success and cut the margin all the way down to eight points (50-42) on a lay-up by freshman Jordan Ferland (Charlestown, N.H.) at 6:13.
Two three-pointers by Hart and another three by Miller gave the hosts a bit of a cushion. Miller's trifecta put the Jumbo lead at 15, 59-44.
Both teams stumbled down the stretch, scoring just one point apiece in the final four minutes.
Clegg with 15 points and Miller with 12 joined Hart as Jumbos in double digits. Hart added five rebounds, four assists and two steals. The Jumbos attempted just five free throws, and made only one.
They matched their season high with 11 three-pointers and turned the ball over just eight times, also matching their season-best.
White finished with nine points and seven rebounds for Endicott, which won the battle of the boards 42-37. Vitale added a team-high nine rebounds. Freshman Samantha Crough (Cohasset, Mass.) finished with seven points and five rebounds.
The Jumbos travel to Williams College on Saturday for a NESCAC Championship quarterfinal game at 4 pm. Endicott continues its regular season with a TCCC game at New England College on Wednesday at 5:30 pm.
Release courtesy of Tufts University Sports Information.