MEDFORD - Senior guard Colleen Hart (Needham, MA) became the Tufts University women's basketball program's all-time leading scorer on Saturday while leading the Jumbos to a 69-57 victory against New Paltz State at Cousens Gymnasium. Hart scored a game-high 21 points to put her career total at 1,261 points, surpassing the previous record of 1,257 by Teresa Allen (1985-89).
The Jumbos (6-1) needed all of Hart's points and then some to earn the victory over the Hawks (3-5). Tufts was up 20-8 early, but New Paltz cut the margin to 32-25 at the half. The visitors continued to surge and took a 45-40 lead in the second half, but Tufts was strong down the stretch. Junior Caitlin Irwin (Brooklyn, NY) had 12 points and seven rebounds to lead the Hawks.
Hart had 10 early points, helping Tufts establish its 12-point lead at the 10:20 mark of the first half. The Jumbos were up 29-20 after a lay-up by junior Tiffany Kornegay (Carver, MA) at 2:09, but Irwin's three-pointer and lay-up by sophomore Maliqua Fisher (North Babylon, NY) closed the gap to four points (29-25). Jumbo sophomore Collier Clegg (Evanston, IL) hit a three at the halftime buzzer to give the hosts a seven-point lead at intermission. Hart and Kornegay each had 10 at the half for Tufts, while 14 bench points by New Paltz included six from first year Elizabeth Hauser (East Williston, NY).
Tufts maintained a single-digit lead for the first six minutes of the second half, but the Hawks used a 9-1 run to take their first lead (39-38) on Irwin's three-pointer at 13:46. The visitors extended the run to 15-3 and opened up a 45-40 margin on a lay-up by Irwin at 12:10. However, Tufts scored the next 10 points to go ahead 50-45 and would not trail again. Five different Jumbos combined for the points.
A lay-up by Irwin had the Hawks within 53-49 at the six-minute mark. Hart broke the scoring record with a pair of free throws at 5:19, giving Tufts a 57-49 advantage. New Paltz got within six at 61-55 on a lay-up by junor Shanay Bradley (Bronx, NY) with three minutes to play, but they would get no closer as Tufts finished with its fifth consecutive win. The Hawks lost their second straight.
Kornegay was outstanding for Tufts with 18 points, a game-high 10 rebounds, six steals and four assists. Hart added four assists and three steals to her record-breaking game. Clegg finished with nine points and nine rebounds for Tufts.
Bradley and Fisher both compiled 10 points for New Paltz, with Bradley adding seven rebounds and three steals, and Fisher grabbing six rebounds.
Tufts is finished for the first semester and will resume their season at the Hampton Inn/Naismith Classic hosted by Springfield College January 2-3. New Paltz hosts Montclair State on Monday at 7 pm.
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