Box Score WORCESTER – Senior Eric Savage finished with a double-double and junior Luke Rogers turned in 20 points but it wasn't enough as the Tufts men's basketball team fell to No. 22 WPI, 72-62, on the road on Tuesday evening.
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| Eric Savage finished with his first double-double of the season with 13 points and 12 boards |
The loss was the first of the season for the Jumbos, who are now 5-1. WPI moves to 8-1 with the win.
After the two teams traded a few baskets to open play, the Engineers got a couple of layups from Jake Wisniewski, a three from John Lowther and then jumper from Colin McNamara out them up by nine seven minutes into play.
The Engineers led by as many as 14 during the first half. Down 30-16 the Jumbos got a jumper from junior Luke Rogers followed by a layup from senior Eric Savage. After a couple of points from the Engineers, Savage turned in another layup and then sophomore Carson Cohen made a layup and the free throw after to cut the lead to seven with just under a minute left in the half. Garrett Stephenson turned in a couple of free throws for WPI but Rogers made a last second layup for the Jumbos and they went into the break down by seven, 36-29.
WPI got two quick buckets out of the break to push their lead to 12. They would hold onto that lead for about the next eight minutes. Ahead by 12, Jake Needleman made a three and Kahleb Downing added a layup on their next possession to increase the Engineer lead to 17 about halfway through the second half.
Rogers cut the lead to 15 with a layup and on the next Jumbo possession grabbed a clutch offensive rebound and added a layup and the free throw after to bring the Jumbos within 12, 55-43, with just under eight minutes left in the game.
Down by 14 with just over three minutes left in the game the Jumbos started another comeback. A three from sophomore Tyler Aronson cut the lead to 11. Rogers added a free throw to bring the Jumbos within ten. Savage picked up a foul, but on the one-and-one the Engineers missed, and Savage grabbed a critical rebound which set up a jumper from junior Brennan Morris that brought the Jumbos within eight, 57-65, with just under a minute left in the game. After two free throw from WPI, Aronson drained a three that brought Tufts within seven, 67-60, with 38 seconds left in the game.
That would be as close as the Jumbos would come, though, as the Engineers picked up the 72-62 win.
Rogers led all Jumbo point scorers with 20 points while also adding seven rebounds, five of those offensive. Savage turned in 13 points and 12 rebounds, his first double-double of the season. Aronson finished with 14 points. Morris added six points, three rebounds and three assists, and Cohen tallied five points and three rebounds.
Stephenson led the Engineers with 21 points and six rebounds. McNamara tallied 13 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Reid Walker added ten points and three rebounds and Wisniewski collected eight points and six rebounds.
The Jumbos are back in action on Saturday when they open play in the New England Big Four Challenge with a 12 pm game against Brandeis at Salem State. WPI takes the court again on Saturday with a trip to Albertus Magnus for a 5 pm tip off.
