The St. Thomas women’s basketball team faces Tufts University on Friday in Chicago in the NCAA tournament. The two teams share no common opponents, which leaves Tommie fans wondering what their team is up against in the Sweet 16 match-up. Aaron Leibowitz, the Tufts Daily’s sports editor (the independent student newspaper at Tufts), has followed the Jumbos all season. TommieMedia sports editor Hayley Schnell collaborated on a Q&A session to give fans some background before Friday’s big game.

Hayley Schnell: What is Tufts’ history of NCAA tournament play?

Aaron Leibowitz: This is the program’s fourth time in the NCAA tournament, all of which have come in the last five years. Their best run was in 2008 when they reached the Elite Eight, but none of the current players were on that team and only three have any tourney experience. This past weekend was also the first time ever that NCAA games were played at Tufts.

HS: Is there one standout player or a unit of players that drives your team’s success?

AL: It really is a unit built on team defense. There are a couple standouts – senior Tiffany Kornegay is the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year and is second in the league in rebounding despite being just 5-foot-6, and senior Kate Barnosky is the leading scorer and has done a great job guarding players taller than her in the paint – but the team has really thrived by working together to shut opponents down. They’ve done a great job containing star scorers and have an uncanny knack for forcing turnovers. Tufts ranks fourth in Div. III in scoring defense, and that’s what has gotten them to this point.

HS: No player averages more than nine points on your team. What makes your team good offensively?

AL: The offense is balanced – all nine players who regularly see the floor average at least five points per game. Also, the team does a good job turning defense into offense. Kornegay is great at grabbing rebounds and then pushing the ball in transition, slashing inside and either going up with it or kicking it outside.

HS: What is one thing your team struggles with?

AL: Not having one prolific scorer can be an issue at times, though Kornegay and Barnosky both have the ability to take over when they need to. The team struggles sometimes when their shots aren’t falling, and they can go cold from the field for stretches of games. They also lack somewhat in size with only one 6-foot player on the roster, which will probably be their biggest problem to overcome against St. Thomas.

HS: If you could describe your team in one word, what would it be?

AL: To use a word the team likes to use: stifling. That’s the best way to describe their defense, which is really what defines their game.

Aaron Leibowitz: The Tommies are 28-1 and haven’t lost since their first game. Where does this season rank in the history of the program?

Hayley Schnell: There’s no doubt that this season is one for the books. St. Thomas’ 28-game winning streak in a single season is the longest in program history. From 1990-1992 (including an NCAA championship season in 1991), the Tommies won 40 consecutive games. The Tommies’ 22-0 conference record also marks the fifth undefeated conference record in the team’s history.

AL: Has the team been challenged much this season? Have they had any signature wins against tough national competition?

HS: The Tommies’ signature season wins were over the Gusties. Gustavus is their main conference rival. They defeated the Gusties three times during the regular season and in the conference playoff championship. In that game, St. Thomas had a 20-point lead at one point, but Gustavus fought back and cut its lead to just two points. The Tommies were able to rally and pull out a 66-54 victory thanks to center Maggie Weiers’ 18 points and 19 rebounds.

AL: What are the team’s strengths and weaknesses?

HS: Their depth and team chemistry are the biggest strengths. They have a solid starting five and four women who come off the bench that contribute to the offense and defense. Any of these nine players can carry the team in scoring, rebounds, assists or defensive stops. A weakness would be the team’s habit to lose composure when handling a full-court press or when a player gets double-teamed. The players tend to rush and it causes turnovers.

AL: Who are some St. Thomas players to keep an eye on during Friday’s game?

HS: The sophomore duo of center Maggie Weiers and forward Taylor Young. Weiers has strung together a couple double-double performances and is playing the best I’ve seen all season. Young hasn’t scored much in the last couple games, but she is a do-it-all player that has been key in the Tommies’ hard-nosed defense and ball-handling. Look for her to come alive offensively on Friday.

AL: What’s a Tommie?

HS: A Tommie is a tomcat.