MEDFORD, MA (February 3, 2023) -- The Tufts University men's basketball team team used a 13-0 run over 3:44 of the second half to pull away from visiting Colby College Friday, earning a hard-fought 63-54 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) victory in play from Cousens Gymnasium.
The game was close through the early going of the second half, as Colby (15-6, 2-5 NESCAC) tied the game at 37 with 15:41 to play in regulation on a lay-up by Jonah Obi. From that point the Jumbos would put their foot on the gas pedal, putting together a 13-0 run thanks to 6-of-9 shooting in the stretch to take a 50-37 lead with 10:49 to go. Colby was 0-of-5 during the span, turning the ball over twice.
After the Mules made it a 10-point game with eight minutes remaining, the Jumbos posted another decisive run as they scored the game's next eight points to take a 60-42 lead with 3:08 to go. Colby hit four three-pointers down the stretch but it wasn't enough as Tufts clinched its ninth home win of the year while improving to 3-0 in Cousens Gym in NESCAC action.
In the opening half, Colby opened the game with a triple but Tufts (15-5, 4-3 NESCAC) responded with nine straight points including five from senior
Dylan Thoerner. Colby came right back with an 8-0 run to lead 11-9, and led until an 8-2 run put the hosts up 24-18 with 7:37 to go in the opening 20 minutes. Tufts led the rest of the first half, though it was a one-possession contest for the final four minutes before the Jumbos took a 29-27 lead into the locker room for halftime.
After the break, Tufts came out and led by eight after a three-pointer by Thoerner with 18:20 to go but eight straight points by Colby set up the eventual game-winning run by the Jumbos.
Thoerner had one of his best games of the season on Friday night, going 10-of-12 from the floor as he tallied a game-high 24 points. Senior
Tyler Aronson had a solid game with 12 points and six rebounds, and first-year
Scott Gyimesi continued to come on strong as he tallied his first career double-double of 10 points and a team-high 10 rebounds including four on the offensive glass.
Carson Cohen just missed a career-high in assists, but still registered a season-high eight helpers along with four boards.
Tufts shot 42.9 percent from the floor Friday night (27-63), while posting a 44-36 rebounding edge. Tufts led for 31 minutes of the contest and dominated inside with a 36-16 advantage in the paint. Tufts also assisted on 21 of 27 made buckets.
Colby was paced by the 12 points from Noah Tyson, as he added six rebounds, and Jack Lawson finished with 10 points as well. The Mules made just 30.5 percent (18-59) on field goals for the contest, going 9-of-26 from behind the three-point arc (34.6 percent).
The Jumbos will honor their five seniors
Theo Henry, Thoerner, Aronson,
Kris Bortz and Cohen on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. against Bowdoin College for Senior Day inside Cousens Gym.
--JUMBOS--
