Box Score MEDFORD – Visiting Wesleyan scored the first 11 points of the second half and then held off Tufts to earn a clutch 80-71 NESCAC men's basketball victory Saturday afternoon at Cousens Gym.
Sophomore Joseph Kuo (13), junior tri-captain Jack Mackey (13) and junior Joe Edmonds (11) combined to score 37 of Wesleyan's 50 points in the second half. The Cardinals went 20 for 24 from the free throw line in the second half to help secure the victory.
Edmonds led the Cardinals with 18 points overall, including a 12 for 15 performance at the line and four assists. Kuo double-doubled with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Mackey finished with 16 points. The Cardinals improved to 14-6 overall and 3-3 in NESCAC.
Tufts, which dropped to 9-9 and 4-2 in the league, received a game-high 20 points as well as six rebounds from sophomore tri-captain Tom Palleschi. Sophomore Tarik Smith added 15 points with five assists off the bench.
The Cardinals held Tufts scoreless for the first 7:40 of the second half. Davis opened with a three and later had a lay-up at the 13-minute mark which gave Wesleyan a 41-36 lead. Smith ended the run and scored Tufts' first points of the period with a three-pointer making it 41-39 at 12:20.
Mackey hit three huge threes for Wesleyan in the middle of the half. His first as the clock wound down past 10 minutes put Wesleyan up 46-40. He then hit two in a row giving the visitors a 54-45 advantage with 8:12 remaining in regulation.
Over the next three-plus minutes, Tufts cut the margin down to one at 58-57 following a lay-up by sophomore Ryan Spadaford nicely assisted by Palleschi at 4:59. Spadford also had an earlier three during the 12-4 Jumbo run.
Kuo scored the next three baskets for Wes and their lead was 64-59 with 3:17 remaining. After a Tufts miss, Kuo rebounded a Wesleyan miss on a three-pointer to reset the shot clock. Tufts would soon resort to sending the Cardinals to the line, where they hit 14 straight and 16 of 18 in the final 2:21.
Tufts knocked down six of 12 three-point attempts in the first half as they took a 36-30 lead. Five Jumbos had threes in the opening 20 minutes and Palleschi was two for two.
The Cardinals had an early advantage, taking a 7-5 lead on a three-pointer by Mackey at 14:55. They expanded the margin to 19-11 on a three by sophomore PJ Reed with 8:44 to go until halftime. A pair of free throws by Reed at 6:53 had the Cardinals up by six (21-15) before the Jumbos surged.
Tufts produced an 8-2 stretch including threes by Palleschi and Spadaford to tie the game at 23-23 with 5:18 remaining until halftime. After an Edmonds free throw, Tufts then ran off seven in a row to take a 30-24 advantage at 3:13. A three-pointer by senior tri-captain Ben Ferris was in the middle of the run.
Wesleyan would close within two (30-28) before Tufts tallied six of the final eight points in the half including an Engvall three. His nine points led Tufts at the break while Edmonds had seven for the Cardinals.
For the game, Davis added 12 points with five assists to the Cardinal offense, which finished 22 for 35 (82.9 percent) at the line overall. The Cardinals posted a 42-28 advantage on the glass, including seven by junior Rashid Epps.
Spadaford's 12 points and 10 by Engvall gave the Jumbos four in double-digits.
Wesleyan returns home to host in-state rival Trinity in NESCAC action next Friday night. Tufts plays a non-league game Tuesday night at UMass Dartmouth.
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