MEDFORD, Mass. - The visiting Trinity College Bantams suffered a 57-38 loss against the Tufts University Jumbos in the finals of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Championship Tournament this afternoon at Cousens Gymnasium.  The Bantams, seeded No. 3 in the tournament and ranked No. 16 nationally, fall to 22-5 and will likely play next weekend in the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.  Top-seeded Tufts improves to 21-6 and earns the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tourney.  Trinity, making its first appearance in program history in the league championship game, was led in scoring by sophomore guard Hannah Marzo (Shrewsbury, Mass.) with 11 points.

Marzo opened the game with a driving layup but Tufts scored the game's next six points and led from that point on.  Trinity rookie guard Theresa Twardosky (Merrimack, N.H.) made a runner to make the score, 11-9, in Tufts' favor with 1:47 left in the first quarter but the Jumbos scored eight of the next 10 points.  Marzo drilled a jumper as time expired to make it, 19-13 a the first break.  Tufts increased its lead to double digits on a three-point play by Maggie Russell midway through the second quarter and the home team led by as many as 16 points before sophomore guard Indi DelRocco (Branford, Conn.) made a free throw to close out the half with the Bantams trailing, 34-21.  

Trinity made a run in the third quarter thanks to treys by Marzo and DelRocco sandwiched around a layup by junior center Reilly Campbell (Wallingford, Conn.), cutting its deficit to 38-29 with 5:56 on the clock.  Neither team scored for over a minute until Marzo scored on a drive at the 4:36 mark.  The teams traded buckets a couple of times over the final stretch of the third quarter and Tufts led, 42-33, at the final break.  The Jumbos outscored Trinity, 15-5, in the fourth quarter, however to pull away.  Campbell made a free throw 3:18 into the final frame for Trinity's first points but Tufts answered and maintained a comfortable advantage the rest of the game.  Marzo and Trinity seniors Bria Fuller (Springdale, Md.) and Frankie Silva (Auburndale, Mass.) each had five rebounds, while Marzo also made two steals and Campbell blocked three shots.  Russell had 16 points and 14 boards for Tufts.

"I am very proud of our team.  They did a phenomenal job of getting to this point," said Trinity Head Coach Emily Garner. "Kudos for Tufts for executing their game plan so well.  We just have to regroup and refocus and get ourselves ready to play next week."