WORCESTER, MA (December 30, 2024) -- The No. 10 Tufts University men's basketball team had its toughest shooting contest of the season Monday afternoon against Nichols College, as the Jumbos fell 72-71 in the second of two games at the Clark University Holiday Tournament inside Kneller Athletic Center in Worcester.
The Jumbos (10-2) finished the game 30-of-73 from the field overall (41.1) percent, the second-lowest percentage of the season, while the 15 percent (3-20) from behind the arc was a season-low for Tufts.
Despite the poor shooting, Tufts still rallied late after trailing by 11 with 3:13 to go in the contest. The Jumbos posted an 8-2 run to trim the Bison (4-6) lead down to 71-69 with 18 seconds to go on a pair of free throws by James Morkais.
Nichols' Jason Peters made one of his two free throws and Tufts advanced the ball up court before calling timeout with 2.8 seconds to go in regulation. Morakis had an attempt to tie the game off of the inbounds, but it missed and the tip-in at the buzzer by senior
Trumann Gettings was not enough as Tufts fell for just the second time this season.
It was a fight all game for Tufts, who never led in the game and trailed by as much as 16 points in the second half. Nichols scored eight of the game's first 10 points before the Jumbos pulled even at eight after a bucket by
Scott Gyimesi.
Nichols responded with a 10-2 run to take a 20-10 lead on a three by Javen Flowers-Smith, but the Jumbos pulled to within three at 28-25 after a four-point play from sophomore
Dylan Reilly with 5:20 left in the opening stanza.
The Bison slowly increased their lead back up to nine at the break, as Jason Peters scored to make it 38-29 at halftime.
Nichols would keep the pressure, taking its largest lead of the contest of 16 with nine minutes remaining on a three-pointer by Ethan Minarik, but Tufts would start to creep back into the game setting up the near comeback late in the game.
Junior
Scott Gyimesi was 8-of-15 from the field on Monday, scoring 17 points to go with 11 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the year. Morakis led all Jumbo scorers with 22 points, adding four rebounds, and Gettings came off the bench to post 12 points and five caroms in just 14 minutes.
Sophomore
Liam Kennelly provided a spark all game, as he finished with five points, three assists and a career-high six steals. The six steals were the most by a Jumbo this season, and the most in a game since Tarik Smith had six against UMass Dartmouth on January 31, 2017.
Joshua Bernstein finished with four points, seven rebounds and three blocks as well, and
Quinn Cain made his only three-point attempt of the game to finish with three points.
The Jumbos won the points in the paint battle 50-30 on Monday, but were out-rebounded for the second straight game 43-38.
Nichols put four players in double-figures, as Flowers-Smith tallied 17 points in the win. Simon Percy added 16 points and nine rebounds, and Ryan Savoy also recorded a double-double of 11 points and 12 boards, finishing with four blocks as well.
Nichols shot 44.8 percent for the game (26-58), but its 7-for-21 shooting from deep (33.3 percent) was the difference.
Tufts will continue a four-game stretch away from Cousens Gymnasium on Thursday evening, traveling to Manhattan to take on Yeshiva University at 7:30 p.m. in more non-conference play for its first 2025 contest.
--JUMBOS--
