Box Score 
WALTHAM – In a remarkable five-overtime New England Big 4 Challenge Championship Game on Saturday, the Tufts University men's basketball team fell 108-102 to the host Brandeis University Judges.
Tufts junior Dylan Thoerner had a great day, scoring 34 points with three rebounds, three assists and a steal. He shot eight for 14 from the field, hit two three-pointers and made all 16 of his free throw attempts. Junior Tyler Aronson (pictured) was the second leading scorer for the Jumbos, finishing with 14 points, four rebounds and an assist. Chandler Jones led the way for the Judges scoring 26 points with 16 rebounds and five assists. Collin Sawyer also had a strong game offensively for Brandeis, scoring 25 points with four rebounds, an assist and a steal.
The Judges scored the first 12 points of the game and played great defense, not allowing any good chances for the Jumbos to put points on the board. Tufts scored their first point seven and a half minutes in on a free throw from Theo Henry. Brandeis got out to an 18-1 lead before Jumbo senior Will Brady hit a three-pointer for Tufts to gain some momentum. They climbed back and cut the deficit to just five with four minutes remaining in the first half, and the margin was four heading into halftime with a 25-21 score in favor of Brandeis.
The score remained close throughout the second half and the Jumbos tied the game up at 38 on a Thoerner three-pointer nine minutes into the half. Not long after, freshman Khai Champion sunk a three-pointer to give Tufts their first lead of the game at 43-40. Brandeis' Sawyer came right back and hit a three of his own to tie the game back up.
Regulation would come to an exciting conclusion. With six seconds left, Tufts found themselves in a five-point hole when Thoerner was fouled and made three free throws to make it a two-point game (61-59). Champion stole the following in-bound pass, deflecting it into the hands of Brennan Morris, who attempted a shot that was blocked. However, he collected the loose ball and hit a jump shot just before the buzzer that tied the game as time expired, sending it to overtime at 61-61.
The teams traded baskets through the first overtime period and were tied at 66 with just over two minutes left. No team scored after that, with a Brandeis three at the buzzer bouncing off the rim. Thoerner scored four of the Jumbos' five points in the first OT period.
In the second overtime session Jones hit a three-pointer for a 71-66 Brandeis lead, but Tufts' Aronson responded with a jump shot to make it a three-point game (71-68). Brandeis held a 76-73 lead when Thoerner came up big once again with a three-pointer to tie the game with 15 seconds left. Another Brandeis miss at the buzzer forced a third overtime.
In the third overtime Tufts freshman Bobby Stewart got the scoring started with a layup. Sawyer and Toby Harris hit back-to-back three-pointers for the Judges to take a four-point lead (82-78) two minutes into the period. The Jumbos stormed back, tying the game up with consecutive layups from Aronson and Thoerner. Aronson then hit a three-pointer to give Tufts an 85-82 lead with 37 seconds left, but Jones came back and hit a three that bounced off the rim and into the air before eventually falling through the net to tie the game at 85. Tufts had a final possesson, but could not make the shot.
Jones continued his success in the fourth overtime, scoring five of the Judges' nine points in the period. Stewart also had a great period for the Jumbos, scoring six of the team's nine points. With 21 seconds left, Morris hit yet another clutch shot for Tufts, nailing a three-pointer from the left side to tie the game at 94-94 with 20 seconds on the clock. Another last-second chance for Brandeis was off to send the game to a fifth overtime.
Brandeis separated themselves from the Jumbos at the start of the fifth OT with an 8-2 run on mostly free throws. However, Brady halted the run with a three-pointer to make it a three-point game (105-102) with 26 seconds left. Brandeis went on to make three more free throws and the Jumbos missed a three as the game finally came to a close at 108-102 in favor of the Judges.
Thoerner was named to the All-Tournament team.
The Jumbos return to the court next Saturday, December 11 when they will host Nichols College at 3 PM.
Written by Tim O'Brien, Athletic Communications Intern
