
MEDFORD, Mass. -- Senior Liz Moynihan scored 17 points, including a critical 3-pointer in the second half, as sixth-ranked Tufts defeated No. 3 Amherst 63-56 in a battle of NESCAC unbeatens on Friday night at Cousens Gym.
The Jumbos, who received a game-high 18 points from junior Hayley Kanner, improved to 13-0 overall and 2-0 in the league. It was Tufts' first victory against the Lord Jeffs since Jan. 12, 2007, a span of 10 games, when the Jumbos won 58-53.
Amherst, which lost leading scorer Megan Robertson to a knee injury early in the game, dropped to 14-1 and 2-1.
The teams were tied at 52-52 following a pair of free throws by Amherst's Haley Zwecker at 4:38 of the second half. Jumbo Emma Roberson had a free throw at the other end, and then after a Lord Jeff turnover Moynihan drained a three putting Tufts up 56-52 with 3:44 remaining.
That was part of an 8-1 run that gave the Jumbos a 60-53 lead into the final minute. All eight points were scored by Moynihan and Roberson, including five at the free-throw line.
A 3 by Hannah Peterson had the Lord Jeffs within 60-56 with 27 seconds left, but the Jumbos would make free throws and keep Amherst off the scoreboard the rest of the way to post the win.
Moynihan had 13 of her 17 points in the second half for Tufts. She had seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Kanner added four blocks to her 18 points, while junior Hannah Foley contributed eight points, three assists and three steals. The Jumbos held Amherst to 34 percent (17 of 50) from the field and forced it into 17 turnovers.
Marley Giddins led Amherst with 13 points along with six rebounds. Zwecker tallied 11 points and four assists, while Savannah Holness was near a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds.
No. 4 Washington (Mo.) 73, Brandeis 49
ST. LOUIS -- Fourth-ranked Washington made a season-high 12 3-pointers as the Bears pulled away for a 73-49 win against Brandeis in University Athletic Association (UAA) action on Friday night at the WU Field House.
Washington improved to 12-1 overall and 2-0 in UAA play. Brandeis dropped to 6-7 and 0-2.
Washington shot 39.1 percent (27 of 69) from the field in the game, including 12 of 25 from beyond the arc. Brandeis shot 34.4 percent (21-61) from the field and was just 2 of 8 from 3-point range. The Bears outrebounded Brandeis 52-36, including a 33 of 14 advantage in the second half.
Maddy Scheppers and Jordan Thompson each scored 16 points to lead the Bears, combining for 8 of 15 from 3-point range. Thompson also had five rebounds, six assists and two steals, while Scheppers dished out a career-high five assists. Melissa Gilkey scored 14 points, including nine in the second half, and pulled down nine rebounds, while Lucy Montgomery finished with nine points and senior forward Kristin Anda added six points and nine rebounds.
No. 5 Whitman 69, Linfield 61
MCMINNVILLE, Ore. -- There have been legs of Whitman's still-perfect basketball journey showcasing the excellence of the Missionary women's star players and the elegant chemistry of a team in perfect synch.
A 69-61 victory against Linfield on Friday in a Northwest Conference game was the other kind. One of those wins with warts.
Fifth-ranked Whitman overcame some ball security issues and survived cold shooting by controlling what it could control, namely its effort. Rebounding, defense, free throws: these are the humble ingredients in the grout between the shiny tiles of what is now a 14-0 start to the season.
The Missionaries, who have not lost to Linfield since 2007, shuffled through a listless first half and saw a comfy second-half lead deflate in the final minutes as crafty Linfield southpaw Taylor Solomon caught fire. But after Solomon's long-range barrage -- she nailed three 3-pointers and also converted a three-point play to pull the Wildcats within seven points with 3:58 to play -- a pair of usual Whitman suspects stepped up and said, "No ma'am." Sarah Anderegg made 4 of 4 free throws down the stretch and Heather Johns converted a tough lay-in while absorbing a body blow to stem the tide.
It was a slightly nervous finish for Whitman (5-0 in conference), which had used baskets by Johns, Anderegg and Tiffani Traver (a 3-pointer) to open the second half on a 7-0 run and push its lead to double-digits. There it stayed, swelling to as high as 16 inside the final eight minutes, on the strength of grit rather than glitz.
Whitman outrebounded Linfield 43-31 and snagged a whopping 17 offensive rebounds, led by Meghan White's seven and Johns' four. That helped the Missionaries attempt 20 more field goals than their hosts. Whitman also forced 21 turnovers, a figure enlarged by scrappy contributions from Traver (four steals) and swarming team defense in general.
Anderegg finished with 21 points (including 11 of 12 free throws) and eight rebounds, Johns added 19 points, six rebounds and Meghan White notched another double-double with 11 points and 12 boards. Traver added 12 points and made 4 of 8 3-pointers.
No. 8 Emory 70, Carnegie Mellon 68 (OT)
ATLANTA -- Emory senior Savannah Morgan notched a team-high 22 points, including a pair of go-ahead free throws with under a second left in overtime, to keep the eighth-ranked Eagles' perfect season alive with a 70-68 win against the Carnegie Mellon Tartans on Friday night at the Woodruff Physical Education Center.
With the score tied at 68 and three second left in the first overtime, Carnegie's Gabrielle West missed a three-point attempt. Morgan secured the rebound for Emory, and was fouled by Lindsay Poss, setting up the game-winning free throws attempts. She drained both, and Carnegie's long inbound attempt after the free throws was stolen away by senior Gabi Whitmer, ending the game.
With the win Emory improved to 13-0, including a 2-0 mark in University Athletic Association (UAA) games to tie for first in the conference with Washington (Mo.) and New York University. Carnegie dropped to 9-4 overall, including a 0-2 mark in the UAA.
Morgan finished the game with 22 points on an 8-for-18 shooting effort from the field, while adding on a team-best five assists, in addition to seven rebounds. Khadijah Sayyid chipped in with 11 points, while senior Hannah Lilly registered 10, and Whitmer picked up a team-best eight rebounds.
For Carnegie Mellon, Lisa Murphy finished with a game-high 36 points and 14 rebounds, while Liza Otto added 12 rebounds, and Poss contributed 11 points.