Box Score WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – Junior Luke Rogers scored a season-high 26 points and added 12 rebounds, but the No. 18 Tufts men's basketball team fell to Williams, 71-66, on the road on Saturday afternoon. The double-double was the 14th double-double of the season for Rogers.
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| Luke Rogers turned in his 14th double-double of the season |
The Jumbos fall to 18-6 overall and 8-2 in NESCAC play. They have secured the top seed in the upcoming NESCAC Tournament. After finishing with identical 8-2 regular season records with Colby, the Jumbos earn the top seed thanks to an 80-67 win over the Mules earlier this season.
Williams improves to 13-11 overall this year and 6-4 in conference games.
The first half was incredibly close, as neither team led by more than five the entire half. The Jumbos opened up scoring with a jumper from Rogers and then a three from sophomore Carson Cohen. After the Ephs got a jumper from Matt Karpowicz, a Rogers layup put the Jumbos ahead by five again about two minutes into play.
Down by five with 14:40 to go in the half the Ephs got five straight points from Jovan Jones to tie things at 13 with 12:13 on the clock. Sophomore Tyler Aronson put the Jumbos on top with a couple of free throws, but Nate Karren also made two at the charity stripe to tie things at 15 with just under ten minutes to play in the half. Spency Spivy made one of two at the line on the Ephs next possession to give them their first lead of the day. A jumper from Karpowicz gave the Ephs a three-point advantage.
Williams was able to hold on to that lead for a bit, until a three from Jumbo freshman Dylan Thoerner tied things at 24 with 1:34 to play in the half. The two teams traded free throws, and a jumper from Nate Karren with 26 seconds in the half left gave the Ephs a 27-25 advantage at the break.
Cohen sunk a three to open the second half and put the Jumbos ahead by one, and then Rogers made a three to increase that lead to four. A jumper from Rogers a little over two minutes into the second half put the Jumbos ahead by six. The Jumbos held on to that lead for about three minutes. Down by five with 14:38 to go the Ephs got a jumper from Cole Prowitt-Smith and then a layup from Jones brought them within one. Stoddard made two free throws to put the Ephs ahead by one, 40-39, with 13:45 to go.
Rogers tied things at 40 with a free throw with 13:28 on the clock, and then neither team scored for a little more than two minutes. A Karpowicz layup put the Ephs ahead by two with just over 11 minutes to play. For about the next four minutes the game was tied once and the two teams traded the lead six times. A layup from Mickey Babek put the Ephs ahead by one, 48-47, with seven minutes to go.
Down by three the Jumbos got a layup from Rogers to come within one, but the Ephs got a layup on their end to go up by three again. A couple of free throws from Savage once again brought Tufts within one, 52-51, with just over five to go. But Prowitt-Smith made a three to put the Ephs up four. Junior Brennan Morris answered with a three for the Jumbos, and once again they were within one, but they weren't able to take back the lead. Williams moved on to a 71-66 win.
Rogers led the Jumbos with 26 points and 12 rebounds, along with two blocks. Savage finished with 13 points, five boards and three assists. Morris tallied 11 points and a couple of rebounds. Cohen added seven points, six rebounds and three assists. Dylan Thoerner was the only Jumbo to score off the bench, turning in five points.
Karpowicz led the Ephs with 19 points and ten rebounds. Jones finished with 14 points and six rebounds, along with three steals. Karren turned in ten points off the bench, and Prowitt-Smith also offered production off the bench, turning in 13 points.
Both the Jumbos and the Ephs will be back in action next weekend when NESCAC Tournament play begins. The Jumbos will be the top seed and will face off with the eighth seed, who has yet to be determined. Williams will also be back in action next weekend in NESCAC Quarterfinal play.
