Women's Basketball Falls to #1 Tufts, 80-31

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The top-ranked Tufts University women's basketball team cruised to an 80-31 victory over Bridgewater State University on Tuesday evening at the Tinsley Center.

Tufts improves to 8-0 on the season with the win, while Bridgewater State falls to 2-6. The Jumbos, who are ranked #1 in the nation in both the WBCA Division III and D3hoops.com polls, are now 9-0 all-time versus the Bears as the two teams have met every season since 2011.

Sophomore guard Molly Ryan (Westfield, N.J.) and junior guard Emily Briggs (Canton, Mass.) tallied 14 points apiece to pace the visitors. Ryan also recorded five rebounds, two assists and four steals, while Briggs notched three boards and three steals. Senior forward Erica DeCandido (North Wales, Pa.) added ten points and a game-best nine rebounds for the Jumbos.

Junior center Destiny Fitzgerald (Medford, Mass.) led the way for Bridgewater State with a game-high 18 points on 8 of 15 shooting. Fitzgerald also pulled down six rebounds and blocked a pair of shots.

The Jumbos outscored the Bears 11-2 over the final six minutes of the first quarter to turn an 8-4 deficit into a 15-10 lead. Tufts got up by as many as 13 points in the second quarter including the halftime score of 32-19.

Ryan scored nine points in the first half for the Jumbos, while DeCandido added eight. Fitzgerald paced the Bears with nine points over the first 20 minutes.

Both teams struggled with their shooting in the first half. Tufts connected on 37.5% (12-32) of its field goal attempts, while Bridgewater State shot just 33% (8-24) from the floor. The Jumbos, however, went 7-for-7 at the free throw line, while the Bears converted just 2 of 6 free throws over the first two periods.

Tufts dominated the second half as the Jumbos outscored the Bears 48-12 over the final 20 minutes including a 24-4 margin in the fourth quarter. The final score of 80-31 also accounted for Tufts' biggest lead of the game.

The Jumbos shot 68% (19-28) from the floor in the second half and held the Bears to just five field goals.

Tufts forced 32 turnovers in the game (19 in the second half) and finished with a 38-3 advantage in points off turnovers. The Jumbos' bench also outscored the BSU reserves, 35-2.

Junior guard Lilly Paro (Blue Bell, Pa.) and junior forward Angela Alibrandi (Westford, Mass.) combined for 17 points off the bench for the visitors. Paro knocked down 3 of 6 three-pointers and notched two assists and two steals in 15 minutes off the pine. Alibrandi was a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor in 11 minutes of action and grabbed three rebounds.

Sophomore guard Hannah Dziadyk (Wakefield, Mass.) added eight points for Bridgewater State.

The Bears travel to Suffolk University on Thursday evening (Dec. 12) for a five o'clock game with the Rams. The Jumbos are off until Saturday, December 28th (7:00 PM) when they take on the Captains of Christopher Newport University at the Stevens Holiday Tournament in Hoboken, New Jersey.