MEDFORD, MA (December 6, 2025) -- The Tufts University women's basketball team won its third straight Saturday afternoon, rallying to top previously unbeaten Brandeis University 67-62 in non-conference play from Cousens Gymnasium.
Tufts (6-3) was able to rally late in the game a pair of times, as the Jumbos trailed by seven with 7:41 to go in the game after a triple from Judge guard Abby Kennedy. Tufts responded with a 10-2 run on the strength of five points from senior
Annie Aspesi to take a 50-49 lead at 3:40 to go.
Brandeis (7-1) regained a three-point lead at 53-50, but a three-point play by sophomore
Abi Stone followed by two more free throws by Aspesi gave the Jumbos a 55-53 edge with two minutes to play.
The Judges would keep scoring to stay in the game, but the Jumbos went 8-of-8 at the free throw line over the final two minutes to pick up the big regional win. In all, Tufts was 11-for-11 in the fourth quarter from the charity stripe which proved to be the difference.
Aspesi had her best offensive game as a collegiate, as the senior scored a career-high 23 points on 6-of-12 shooting, making all nine of her free throws to go with five rebounds and four steals.
Junior
Stella Galanes finished with 13 points off the bench, while first-year
Tessa Lozner dealt with foul trouble but still added 10 points for the Jumbos. Stone came off the bench to tally nine points and three rebounds in 12 minutes, and
Claire Kolkhorst had five points and six rebounds.
Siobhan Stapleton also posted a season-high seven rebounds in the game for Tufts, who held a slight 31-30 edge in the board column. Tufts shot 40.4 percent overall on the day, going 21-of-52 Saturday, along with making 67.9 percent (19-28) at the line.
Brandeis was led by Kennedy and her 17 points, and Katherine Vaughn and Sofia Berisha each had 14 points in the loss.
The Judges shot a strong 46.8 percent from the floor, but 17 turnovers resulted in 15 Jumbos' points.
Tufts led 11-10 after the first quarter, Brandeis took the lead early in the second frame and led by as many as eight as late as 1:05 to go in the third quarter after a free throw by Kennedy.
The Jumbos will be off until December 29 at 4 p.m. at the Bowdoin College Classic, battling Calvin University in Brunswick, Maine.
--JUMBOS--
