MEDFORD, MA (February 17, 2024) -- The Tufts University men's basketball team allowed just 18 second-half points while forcing visiting Middlebury College into 18.5 percent shooting in the last 20 minutes in earning a 66-46 victory in the quarterfinal round of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Tournament Saturday.
With the victory, Tufts (19-6) will move on to the NESCAC Semifinals to take on second-seed and No. 5 Trinity College next Saturday at Williams College after the Bantams defeated Wesleyan University 74-67. The top-seeded Ephs knocked off Hamilton College 67-47 to earn hosting duties in the semifinals, and will take on sixth-seed Amherst College after the Mammoths earned the only upset of the quarterfinals with a 65-57 win over third-seed Conn. College in New London, CT.
The Jumbos came alive midway through the first half, but it was the visiting Panthers (11-14) that came out hot as a Noah Osher three-pointer five minutes into the game made it 9-3 Middlebury. Tufts would slowly draw back into the game, thanks to the efforts of first-year
Jon Medley. The newcomer posted 11 points over an eight minute stretch to put the Jumbos back on top at 25-23 on a triple with 3:34 to go in the first half.
Middlebury charged back ahead but a three-point play by
Joshua Bernstein followed by a
Scott Gyimesi hook shot gave the Jumbos a 30-28 lead going into the halftime break. Gyimesi finished the first half with nine points and eight rebounds for the Jumbos as well.
After the break, a three-pointer by
Jay Dieterle gave Tufts its largest lead of of the day at five points but a 7-0 run from the Panthers made it 35-33 after a triple from Tristan Joseph just under three minutes into the second half. Tufts would come alive over the next five minutes though, going on an 18-3 run highlighted by back-to-back three-pointers by Dieterle to take a 51-38 lead with 11:33 to play. During the run the Jumbos were 6-of-8 from the floor while Middlebury was just 1-of-7.
The lead would continue to swell for the Jumbos, as the host Jumbos allowed just two field goals over the final 13 minutes of the game to pull away for the victory. The Jumbos set season-bests for its defensive prowess on Saturday, as the 27.6 percent shooting against was a season-low for an opponent. The 16 made field goals against was also a season-best for Tufts. On the flip side, Tufts finished just one three-point make away from a season-high with 10, going 10-of-26 (38.5 percent) from behind the three-point arc.
Gyimesi finished with another double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds, making seven of his nine field goals in the contest. His 17th double-double of the season is the third-most in all of NCAA Division III, while leading the NESCAC. Sophomore
James Morakis scored 14 of his 15 points in the second half, totaling five steals and four rebounds, while Dieterle posted nine of his 11 points in the second half as well. Dieterle also tallied a game-high six assists, and Medley posted five rebounds in addition to his 11 points and two rejections.
Bernstein finished with seven points, six boards and four blocks for the Jumbos, who move into the NESCAC semifinals for the second straight season and the third time in the last four seasons. Tufts is now 4-0 all-time against Middlebury in the NESCAC Tournament, and is looking for its second NESCAC title ever after winning the event in 2020.
Middlebury got a team-high 14 points from Osher, but Medley and senior
Casey McLaren made it tough on the Panthers' high scorer as he was just 3-of-11 for the game. Jackson McKersie came off the bench to score eight points, while Tristan Joseph also added seven points in the loss.
Tufts will take on Trinity College at 4:30 p.m. in the NESCAC semifinals at Chandler Gymnasium on the campus of Williams College, while the host Ephs will battle Amherst College at 2 p.m. in the opening game of the day. The two winners will play Sunday, Febraury 25 at noon.
--JUMBOS--
