Hartford, Conn. – The undefeated Tufts University Jumbos opened up a 23-6 over the first 18 minutes of the game and held on late for their 22nd consecutive win, 50-40, over the Trinity College Bantams in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) women's basketball action this evening on Stan Ogrodnik Court in the Ray Oosting Gymnasium.  The host Bantams drop to 13-7 overall and 4-3 in the NESCAC with their second loss in a row to an undefeated team, having suffered a 67-47 setback at No. 4-ranked Amherst on Saturday.  The No. 5-ranked Jumbos remain atop the league standings with an 8-0 record in NESCAC contests.

Tufts scored the game's first seven points, as sophomore center Hayley Kanner (Scarsdale, N.Y.) had six early points, before Trinity scored for the first time more than four minutes into it on a pair of free throws by first-year center Mackenzie Griffin (Stamford, Conn.).  The Jumbos led, 16-6, at the eight-minute mark and rattled off seven straight over the next 6:30, but Trinity junior center Emily Dixon (Norwood, Mass.) scored six of the final eight points of the first half to make the score, 25-12, at the break.  Kanner led all scorers with 10 points and halftime, and Tufts enjoyed a 26-11 rebounding edge.  Griffin and Dixon scored six points each to account for all 12 Trinity points, as the Bantams made just three field goals in 19 attempts but sank six of its seven shots from the charity stripe.

Mackenzie Griffin drives to the basket for two

Tufts maintained its double-digit edge for almost five minutes after intermission, and led, 37-23, with 12:38 left after a pair of free throws by senior guard Kate Barnosky (Huntington Station, N.Y.).  Trinity went on a 13-0 run over the next six-plus minutes to close to 37-36 on a traditional three-point play by Dixon at the six-minute mark.  Jumbo senior forward Bre Dufault (Hampden, Mass.) buried a three-pointer from the top of the key to end the Tufts scoring drought, and added four more points over the next 2:30 to give the visitors a 48-38 lead inside the two-minute mark.  Griffin drove the baseline for two, and stole the ball in the Tufts backcourt with a chance to pull Trinity back within six points but came up short on a contested layup, and Barnosky put the game out of reach with a pair from the foul line.

Griffin feeds Christina Raiti for three

Griffin led all scorers with 13 points and added a team-high seven rebounds off the bench, while Dixon finished with nine points, and sophomore forward Hannah Brickley (Melrose, Mass.) contributed six points and six rebounds for the Bantams.  Kanner had 12 points and Dufault added 11 points and seven boards, while Barnosky notched seven points and a game-high eight rebounds for Tufts, which finished with a 47-28 rebounding advantage.

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