Fourth Quarter Surge Powers UChicago Past Jumbos
The University of Chicago women's basketball team defeated Tufts University in its final Midway Classic game 66-57. Outscoring the Jumbos 20-11 in the final minutes, the Maroons ran away with their third win of the season as Chris Sanders led all scorers with a career-high 18 points.
The Jumbos opened up the scoring on a 5-0 run to start the game. Laying in a pass from Kasi Samuda, Annabelle Spotts became the first Maroon to put up points on the board and stop the scoring run for Tufts. A few minutes later, Caroline Workman found her way in the paint to tie up the game at nine. After trailing for the first seven minutes of the quarter, UChicago ended the first on an 8-0 scoring run to take the 15-9 lead.
Tufts came back fighting in the second quarter, outscoring the Maroons 22-13 to take a three-point advantage going into halftime.
The third quarter featured both teams trading baskets and hitting shots from beyond the arc. Sanders drilled back-to-back threes to give UChicago a 38-34 cushion, and the Maroons briefly pushed the lead to six behind four points off the bench from Alexis Clark. Tufts responded with an 8-2 burst to retake the lead, but a buzzer-beater by Samuda found both teams entering the fourth tied at 46.
From there, the Maroons took control. After Tufts reclaimed a one-point lead early in the quarter, Samuda, Workman and Sanders powered a 10-2 run that gave the Maroons room at 56-51 with 4:30 to play. UChicago continued to clamp down defensively, holding the Jumbos to four made field goals in the final 10 minutes while dominating the glass and generating points in transition. The Maroons also forced six turnovers to close out the game on a decisive 15-6 run.
Chris Sanders led all scorers with 18 points on 7-13 shooting. Bri Simpson recorded an all-around performance with 10 points, eight rebounds, and two steals. Inside, Caroline Workman continued her efficient start to the season going 5-7 from the floor to add 10 points for the Maroons.