MEDFORD, MA (November 23, 2024) -- Junior
James Morakis equaled his career-high for points in a game with 24, while junior classmate
Scott Gyimesi tallied 18 points, 12 rebounds and five assists as the No. 13 Tufts University men's basketball team knocked off a strong Endicott College side 81-69 in the 2024-25 home opener from Cousens Gymnasium.
Morakis was electric attacking the rim on Saturday afternoon, as he finished 10-of-20 from the floor including displaying a variety of finishing angles, shots and release points. More impressive was the fact that he and his team turned the ball over just six times all game, the fewest giveaways in a contest for a Tufts squad since turning the ball over just six times against Williams College January 27, 2023.
Endicott came out of the gate though hot as the Gulls took a quick 7-2 lead, though the host Jumbos came right back to take a four-point edge at 15-11 after a triple from Morakis. The two teams would exchange the lead a few times before Tufts pushed back out to an eight-point edge at 33-25 after a jumper in the paint by Gyimesi with 4:12 left in the first half.
The Gulls pulled to within three twice, but a three-pointer by
Dylan Reilly just before halftime gave the Jumbos a 43-35 lead going into the break.
Tufts shot a strong 47.2 percent in the first half, making seven three-pointers on 18 attempts.
The two teams would cool off from the floor in the second half, but Endicott regained the lead on a 7-0 run that saw the Gulls edge up 46-43 after a make by Elijah Kinney. The Jumbos answered with their own 7-0 run, highlighted by an incredible and-one layup by sophomore
Jon Medley during the sequence.
Endicott pulled to within three at 64-61 after a triple by AJ Forte, but the hosts answered that with a 9-0 run to take their first double-digit lead of the game at 73-61 after another driving fade-away jumper by Morakis. The lead would stay in double-digits the remainder of the game, as Tufts secured its fourth win in as many tries.
Gyimesi was 7-of-12 from the floor, making two of his four three-point units, and Medley totaled 15 points, five assists, four rebounds and three blocks. Junior big man
Joshua Bernstein had eight points and eight rebounds, blocking two shots, and Reilly and
Sidney Wooten each had six points on a pair of three-pointers.
Tufts shot 42.5 percent (31-73) for the game, making 10 three-pointers on 32 shots from deep. Tufts edged Endicott in the rebounding column, 46-39, as well.
Kinney posted a double-double for the Gulls with 25 points and 11 rebounds.
The Jumbos will take on MIT Tuesday at 7:00 in non-conference play in Cousens Gymnasium.
--JUMBOS--
