Medford, Mass. - The Tufts University Jumbos allowed just 16 points in the second half to pull away from the visiting Trinity College Bantams with a 70-46 victory in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) women's basketball action this afternoon.  Trinity falls to 5-10 overall and 1-3 in the NESCAC, while Tufts improves to 14-1 overall and remains undefeated in conference play at 3-0

The first half featured a tight, back-and-forth game, as Trinity junior center Mackenzie Griffin (Stamford, Conn.) got off to a hot start with six early points with three field goals in as many tries in the first five minutes of action. Hayley Kanner matched her on the other end, however, scoring seven points within the same span.  Trinity continued to knock down shots, as junior guard Christina Raiti (Plainview, N.Y.) nailed a three-pointer followed by a steal and traditional three-point play by classmate Alexa Menard (Wallingford, Conn.) to give the Bantams a 17-12 lead midway through the opening half.  Hannah Foley responded with a long ball that ended a nearly-five-minute long scoreless streak for Tufts, and the hoem team built a 20-17 advantage with eight straight points.  Foley and Raiti traded treys in the final two minutes before the break, and Bantam senior forward Taylor Higgins (Merrick, N.Y.) made a jumper to put the tie the game at 30-30 at halftime.  Griffin led all scorers at the half with 11 points, while Higgins tallied 10 as the Bantams shot 50 percent from the floor.  Kanner led the way for the Jumbos with eight points in the frame.

Higgins ignited a five-point run at the beginning of the second half with her only make from beyond the arc, but the streak was cut short by yet another Foley trey.  After the Jumbos went ahead on a layup by Lauren Dillon, a Higgins bucket inside tied it again at 37-37 at the 16:06 mark.  The Jumbos erupted for a 13-1 run from that point, pushing their lead to double digits at 50-40 on a basket by Hannah Kayley, and never looked back.  Griffin finished with team-highs of 17 points, seven rebounds, and a block, while Higgins scored 16 points.  In addition to the 17 points, Kanner had eight rebounds and three blocks, while Foley recorded 12 points on four three-pointers and grabbed eight boards.  The Bantams were kept to just 31.6 percent field-goal shooting in the second half.