Tufts forced 15 turnovers and outscored No. 4 Smith 42-31 in the middle quarters to post one of the biggest upsets of the 2025-26 season, taking down the previously unbeaten Bears 60-57 in non-conference play from Cousens Gymnasium on Tuesday evening.

The win mark the first win over a top four ranked squad since the Jumbos topped Amherst on Jan. 18, 2020, when the Jumbos were ranked No. 1 in the nation while Amherst was No. 4. It was also the second straight season that an unranked Jumbo team defeated a Top 10 Smith squad, as Tufts topped the Bears on the road last season 60-50 when Smith was No. 7 in the country. Tufts has now won eight of the last 10 against Smith dating to 2000.

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Tufts (9-8) trailed 11-6 after the opening stanza, but exploded for 28 points in the second frame as the Jumbos went 10-of-16 (62.5 percent) from the floor in the period. The hot shooting including going 5-of-7 from three-point land. With the game tied at 19 with 5:40 to go in the first half, sophomore Abi Stone hit a lay-up followed by an Annie Aspesi three-pointer to push Tufts up by five at 24-19.

The Jumbos continued to lead for the remainder of the first half, taking a 34-31 edge into the halftime break.

In the third quarter, Tufts led by two with just under five minutes to play at 37-35 but the Jumbos went on an 8-2 run to take an eight-point edge after a jumper from freshman Tessa Losner. A three-pointer by Annie Aspesi pushed the Jumbos back up by eight just before the end of the third quarter as the hosts took a 48-42 lead into the final stanza after two Smith free throws with 0.2 seconds left in the period.

Tessa Lozner was one of four Jumbos in double figures in the Tufts win vs. Smith. Tufts athletics photo

Tufts lead grew to as many as nine with 2:54 to go in regulation on a layup by Stone, but Smith wouldn't go away as it scored six consecutive points over the next 1:35 to pull to within three at 57-54. After both teams missed chances, Tufts got to the free throw line with 22 seconds and Aspesi knocked down two to make it 59-54.

Salem Maher drilled a three-pointer for Smith six seconds later, and the Bears fouled to send the Jumbos to the line. Tufts missed both free throws, but Claire Kolkhorst knocked the rebound off of a Smith player to keep possession for the Jumbos. Stone was fouled on the ensuing inbound, and hit the second free throw to keep it a one-score game.

After the missed free throw, Smith had two attempts from three-point range to tie the game but neither went as the Jumbos held on for the upset.

Aspesi kept her recent strong play going with another stellar performance, as she finished with 16 points, six rebounds and three steals. Stone finished with 16 points off the bench, making six of her seven field goals, and Lozner added 11 points and three assists.

Kolkhorst also had a solid and productive contest, contributing 10 points and six rebounds, adding three steals while playing solid defense.

The Jumbos shot 37.7 percent for the contest, and were 14-of-23 from the free throw line (60.9 percent). Tufts also had a huge second-chance advantage, tallying a 15-2 mark in that category.

Virginia Johnson posted 15 points for the Bears (14-1), while Maher also tallied 10 points in the loss. Smith was 21-of-45 (46.7 percent) from the field, going 10-of-11 at the line (90.9 percent).