MEDFORD, Massachusetts — The Tufts University Jumbos surged to 10-point halftime lead and then outscored the Husson University Eagles 21-4 in the third quarter to take a 64-44 women’s basketball victory in NCAA Tourney Division III second-round action on Saturday night.
Husson didn’t have an answer for Tufts’ strong inside game as the Jumbos controlled the paint, forcing the Eagles into contested shots, while holding a 44-23 advantage on the glass. The Jumbos also collected 20 offensive rebounds, with five coming from Melissa Baptista.
Jac Knapp paced Tufts with 13 points and four rebounds while Michela North chipped in with a double-double of 10 points and 13 rebounds. Baptista added nine points and seven rebounds.
Darla Morales nailed five 3-pointers to lead Husson with 15 points and Kenzie Worcester added 12. Tufts held Husson leading scorer Chandler Guerrette to seven points.
Tufts improved to 27-2 and will take on Scranton in a Sweet 16 game on Friday.
Husson, which recorded its first NCAA Tourney victory on Friday, finished at 23-5.
The first 3:20 of the second half was the pivotal stretch of the game, as the Jumbos opened up the third with a 10-0 spurt, prompting the Eagles to a call a 30-second timeout. Knapp scored six points during the spurt, and Baptista cashed in on a mid-range jumper with 6:40 left, giving the hosts a commanding 43-23 lead.
The Jumbos scored 11 of the remaining 15 points in the quarter.