Tulley Leads Women Past New Hampshire
December 9, 1999 | Women's Basketball
Sophomore Jen Tulley (Old Orchard Beach, Me) scored a career-high 24 points, 18 of which came in the second half, to lead the Terrier women's basketball team to a 61-59 overtime win over host University of New Hampshire in America East action on Thursday night (December 9th).
The victory ended a four-game losing streak for the Terriers, who are now 3-4 on the season. More importantly, though, it was their first league win of the year for B.U
Tulley, who was held to just six points in the first half, connected on 7-of-8 from the field in the second half, including 3-of-5 from three-point range.
It would have all been for naught though had Dia Dufault (Malone, NY) and Alison Dixon (Norwood, Mass.) not made their overtime baskets or Alison Argentieri (Hornell, NY) not converted on a key free throw with 10.5 seconds to play in OT.
The Terriers also played excellent defense not just in overtime but througout the game. They held the Wildcats to just 19-of-54 from the field (35.2 percent) for the game. UNH's top player, Orsi Farkas, connected on just 4-of-12 from the floor.
"This was an ugly game," said Terrier first-year head coach Margaret McKeon. "This was not the best B.U. can play. The bottom line is that we won.
"We needed this win," continued the coach. "The kids decided they wanted it, and they went out and did it."
The Terriers trailed by just a point at the half, 23-22, despite shooting 33.3 percent from the field. The Wildcats had an even poorer shooting performance, as they converted on just 25.9 percent of their shots.
New Hampshire jumped to a 5-0 lead before the Terriers scored six unanswered points to lead 6-5, following a Dixon put back with 13:16 to play in the half.
From then on, neither team led by more than four points, while the score was tied five times in the final 7:14 of the half.
Most of the second half belonged to the Terriers in general and to Tulley in particular. Her scoring exploits helped the Terriers open a 12-point lead, 53-41, with 6:19 to play in regulation.
New Hampshire, which is now 3-4 overall and 0-1 in America East, clawed back and tied the game, 56-56, on a layup by Anna Matthias with just 14.3 seconds to play in the game.
The key play in the overtime was the tap.
"I told the kids in the huddle that we wanted to win the tap and go down and score," said McKeon. "I thought the first team to score in the OT would win the game."
That's exactly what happened, as the Terriers controlled the tap and Dufault went in for a reverse layup just 14 seconds into the OT, and they never trailed after that.
"We played as a team for the first time this year," said Tulley. "The team really stood up in the second half."
The sophomore guard did not realize she had as many points as she had in the second half.
"I really didn't feel comfortable with my shot," she said. "I was just hoping the shot would go in."
Tulley was one of just four Terriers who figured in the point total. Dixon, who also had a team-high 16 rebounds and 5 steals, scored 19 points, while Dufault had 12 points. Argentieri was the only other Terrier to score and she had 6 points.
