Box Score MEDFORD – Junior Luke Rogers finished with 24 points and ten rebounds, but it wasn't enough as the Tufts men's basketball team couldn't hold off Suffolk on Tuesday night in Cousens Gym, falling to the Rams, 89-78.
With the setback the Jumbos are now 11-3 this year. Suffolk improves to 8-6 with the win.
The Rams jumped out to an early lead, scoring the first six points of the game thanks to a jumper from Brendan Mulson, a couple of free throws from Max Bonney-Liles and a layup from Thomas Duffy. The Rams held onto that lead, and even increased it to eight with a three from Jonathan Eng about four minutes into the game.
With 15:50 left in the half the Jumbos got a couple of free throws from senior Eric Savage. That was followed by a jumper from sophomore Carson Cohen and a layup from junior Max Oppenheim to cut the Ram lead to two. A layup from junior Luke Rogers with 12:32 left in the half tied things at 13. But, the Rams answered with a three from Mulson to take the lead again. After the two teams traded layups, Cohen sunk a three to tie the game at 18 about halfway through the first half.
The two teams would trade baskets and neither team led by more than three points until the end of the first half. Ahead by one with 5:16 left in the half Rogers turned in a layup and then freshman Dylan Thoerner added a jumper. After a layup from Bonney-Liles to cut the lead to three, a jumper from freshman Casey McLaren and a Rogers layup put the Jumbos ahead by seven with 2:20 left in the half. They took a 43-36 lead into the break.
The Jumbos maintained their lead for the first four minutes of the second half. Down by eight with 15:57 left in the game the Rams got a layup from William Rowe, and then a couple of free throws from Alex Jacovides cut the Jumbo lead to four. Bonney-Liles made a layup to cut the lead to two, but Oppenheim answered with a layup for the Jumbos. A layup from George Grillakis cut the lead back to two, and then another layup from Grillakis tied things at 51 with 12:41 left in the game.
For the next three minutes the two teams traded baskets and the game was tied three times. With the score locked at 57 with 9:25 left in the game Rowe made a layup and then Bonney-Liles put the Rams up by four with a jumper with 8:35 left in the game. The Jumbos would cut that lead to two multiple times, but they weren't able to take the lead back. Suffolk was able to push that lead to eight with 4:29 left in the game and as many as 14 in the final minutes on their way to the 89-78 win.
Rogers led the Jumbos with 24 points, ten rebounds and three blocks. Savage finished with 15 points, five rebounds and four assists. Thoerner added 11 points and seven rebounds. Cohen tallied nine points, four rebounds and five assists. Junior Brennan Morris added seven points and seven rebounds.
Bonney-Liles led the Rams with 31 points and he also added four assists to his night. Rowe tallied 16 points and five boards, and Mulson finished with 12 points and five rebounds. Eng added nine points, five rebounds and four assists.
The Jumbos are back in action on Friday when they host Hamilton for a 7 pm start. Suffolk plays again on Saturday when they host Anna Maria with a 1 pm scheduled tip off.
