MEDFORD, MA (November 22, 2022) -- Senior guard
Theo Henry scored a career-high 24 points in 10-of-12 shooting, helping the Tufts University men's basketball team to a 100-70 win over a shorthanded Massachusetts Institute of Technology squad in non-conference action from Cousens Gymnasium Tuesday evening.
Henry was electric all game, as he made his first nine shots attempt on the night, eclipsing his previous career high of 11 points established last season at Amherst College on January 15. The senior was quick into the lineup on the evening, and made it count as he tallied 11 of the team's first 25 points. The Jumbos (4-0) led only 11-9 after five-plus minutes but the hosts went on a 16-2 run capped by a layup by first-year
James Morakis to make the score 27-11.
MIT (2-3) trimmed Tufts' edge down to eight at 37-29 after a bucket by Rome Delgado-Gonzalez but the Jumbos finished the half on an 11-2 run to take a 48-31 lead into the intermission. After intermission the Engineers came out quick with six straight points but the Jumbos depth showed as they methodically grew their lead up to as much as 33 points, highlighted by a thunderous dunk by
Dylan Thoerner to put Tufts up 19 with 13:21 to go.
Tufts was able to go to the bench and get everyone in on the evening, as 14 players chipped in with points on the night. In addition to Henry's big night, Morakis scored a career-high nine points on 4-of-4 shooting, adding seven rebounds, five assists and three steals in a career-high 27 minutes. Senior
Jay Dieterle scored a season-high 10 points, while
Khai Champion added 10 points, a team-high eight boards and four helpers.
Thoerner finished with 13 points and five caroms in addition to his big dunk in the second half, and
Trumann Gettings tallied six points and six rebounds in the victory. Senior
Kris Bortz tallied a career-high four points, while first-years
Joshua Bernstein posted six points and
Theo Liu added four points for their first points as Jumbos. Tufts shot 60.9 percent from the floor on the night, going 42-of-69 on field goals including making 76 percent (34-45) on two-point attempts.
The 100 points for Tufts was the first time since tallying 102 last season against Brandeis University in a 108-102 loss to the Judges. Tuesday marked the most points in a win for the Jumbos since defeating Colby College 102-94 back on March 1, 2020. The 42 made field goals were also the most in a game since pouring in 42 against UMass-Dartmouth on January 30, 2018. It was also the highest shooting percentage in a game for the Jumbos since shooting 60.9 percent against Plymouth State December 8, 2015.
Due to sickness and injuries, MIT played the entire 40 minutes with the same five players as Kade Kileen finished with 24 points to pace the Engineers. Delgado-Gonzalez tallied 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Tim Minicozzi and Spencer Lin registered 14 and 11 points, respectively.
The Jumbos will have a few days off before taking part in the Black Coaches Classic, playing Framingham State University Saturday, November 26 at 5 p.m. at UMass-Boston.
--JUMBOS--
