Men's Basketball Set to Take On Trinity (Conn.) In NESCAC Semis

MEDFORD, MA (February 26, 2025) - The No. 9 Tufts University men's basketball team prepares for the semifinal round of the New England Small College Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Championship Tournament against Trinity College (Conn.) on Saturday, March 1 at 4:30 pm at the host venue Wesleyan. The Jumbos (21-4) enter action against the Bantams (22-3) as winners of four straight. Across that stretch, they hold a +72 point differential. They enter the final weekend of tournament play as the four most recent NESCAC champions square off.

GAME DETAILS:

Championship Website
vs. No. 2 seed Trinity College (Conn.)
Date: Saturday, March 1, 2025
Time: 4:30 pm
Location: Middletown, Connecticut, Silloway Gymnasium
Live Coverage: Live Stats - Live Video

Tufts vs. Trinity (Conn.) All-Time:

In a rivalry stretching back to 1979, the Jumbos hold a 22-28 record all-time against the Bantams. Recent history has favored Trinity, as they have taken the four latest meetings between the two sides. These two powerhouse programs butt heads in the postseason frequently as of late as well, with the conference foes squaring off in the 2024 NESCAC Tournament and the 2024 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship Tournament Sectional Round. However, when the Jumbos beat the Bantams, they win big. Their four most recent victories against Trinity have all been by at least 14 points, including a 61-38 win in 2022.

A Look at the Jumbos (21-4, 8-2 NESCAC):

Tufts holds the number three seed in the NESCAC Tournament this year after a strong finish to the regular season. They knocked out the Williams Ephs in the first round of the tournament at home with a strong 80-70 win to earn their fourth consecutive appearance in the NESCAC Tournament Semifinals. 

The Jumbos enter this weekend of postseason play as the 6th most efficient team in the nation, according to D3 Datacast and sit at No. 9 in the NPI rankings. Their offense is the highest scoring of any team left in the NESCAC Tournament field, with 78.0 points per game. They are a group that can score field goals with ease, with their 47.6% field goal percentage leading the conference and holding the 34th best mark in the statistic nationally. They boast the 34th best scoring defense in the nation, and the best assists per game mark remaining in the NESCAC Tournament. They also keep the defensive boards clean, with their defensive rebound rate being the highest remaining in the tournament and their total rebounds per game sitting at third in the conference.

Tufts features a roster littered with talent, including that of junior Scott Gyimesi. A three-time NESCAC Player of the Week this season, Gyimesi leads the conference with 12 double-doubles. His work rate around the court is virtually unmatched, with the efficient scorer posting a 60/40/71 slash line to this point in the year and averaging 9.9 rebounds per game, the highest total of any player left in tournament play.

Fellow junior James Morakis is an offensive titan, with his 17.3 points per game sitting nicely at third in the conference. Junior Joshua Bernstein is a stonewall at the center position, totalling 50 blocks to lead the team.

The Jumbos look to make it back to the NESCAC Finals for the first time since 2020 as they pursue their first title in as many years.

A Look at the Bantams (22-3, 8-2 NESCAC):

Trinity enters the semifinal round on a lengthy winning streak. Their seven most recent games all went the way of the Bantams. They defeated the No. 7 seed Colby in the first round of the tournament by a score of 77-56 to advance to the semifinals as the No. 2 seed. 

The Bantams boast a deep and all-around strong squad that can win a game in multiple ways. Their scoring is fantastic, especially from the defense. Their defensive scoring leads the entire nation at 56.0, while their nation-leading scoring margin (20.6) shows that defense is not their only strength. Even more so than Tufts, Trinity is a team that loves to drive in and score. Their three point percentage is about the same as the Jumbos, but on over 90 fewer attempts from downtown. D3 Datacast has the Bantams as the most efficient team in the country. 

The Bantams do struggle on the boards, with their 29.8 opponent rebounds per game being the highest mark in the conference. They are, however, fantastic at holding on to the ball, as their 5.16 turnover margin sits atop the NESCAC standings in the category.

Junior Henry Vetter leads Trinity in scoring as he totalled 15.4 points per game on 44/37/89 shooting. He is the best free throw shooter in the conference and averages 4.2 rebounds per game. Juniors Jarrel Okorougo and Drew Lazarre sit behind Vetter with 11.8 and 11.2 points per game respectively.

Trinity looks to defend their 2024 NESCAC Championship Title.

A Look at  Hamilton (20-5, 7-3 NESCAC) and Wesleyan (25-0, 10-0 NESCAC):

Playing in the earlier game at Silloway Gymnasium is the other semifinal game between Hamilton and Wesleyan.

Hamilton enters the semifinal round as winners of three straight, including a solid win over No. 5 seed Connecticut College by a score of 70-61. The Continentals boast a defense similar to those features elsewhere in the tournament. Holders of the 24th best scoring defense, Hamilton is stingy around the boards, but does not shoot from beyond the arc too often, with the third fewest trebles made in the conference. Senior Hank Morgan leads his team and the conference in points per game, tallying 22.0 on average. Fellow senior Teja Singh is the only other Continental to average in the double digits in scoring. 

Hamilton is looking to return to the NESCAC Finals for the first time since their lone championship win in 2023 in hopes of winning their third conference title all-time.

Top-seeded Wesleyan enters the semifinal round undefeated across all competitions this season, and as such are playing as hosts and the No. 1 seed. While they are only the second most efficient team in the country according to D3 Datacast, they hold the fifth best scoring defense nationally, the second best scoring margin nationally and the best winning percentage in the country. They are a team that grinds down opponents, scoring about eight threes per game, shooting 45% from the field and rebounding at an impressive clip of 41.3 combined rebounds per game. The Cardinals are fantastic at distributing the ball while at the same time holding onto possession, as shown by their conference leading assists/turnovers ratio of 1.73

Senior Shane Regan leads the hosts in scoring, averaging 18.4 points per game on 51/28/86 shooting and is the second highest scorer in the conference. Senior Nicky Johnson is a spectacular playmaker, leading the NESCAC in assists and averaging 12.8 points per game on 47/36/75 shooting. Junior Jackson Cormier is a keystone of the Cardinal's defense, racking up 16 steals and 15 blocks with 156 rebounds for a team-leading 6.5 boards per game.

Wesleyan seeks to make it back to the NESCAC Finals for the first time since their championship winning run in 2022 and is also in search of a third all-time NESCAC title. 

Tufts vs. Hamilton All-Time:

Foes since 1978, the Jumbos hold the slight advantage in the all-time records against Hamilton. They sit 15-13 against the Continentals all-time. Their eight most recent matchups have been split exactly 50-50, although Tufts did take the most recent meeting with an 84-69 win on February 8th. 

The last time the two sides met in the playoffs was in 2023, as Hamilton knocked out Tufts en route to winning the NESCAC Championship.

Tufts vs. Wesleyan All-Time:

The longest-running rivalry to potentially clash this weekend would be Wesleyan. Since their first game in 1977, the Jumbos hold a slight edge over the Cardinals with a 23-21 record in favor of Tufts. Their last six meetings have been split right down the middle, with Wesleyan winning three and Tufts winning three. The Cardinals took the most recent meeting with a close win on their home court, 69-66.

Should Wesleyan knock Hamilton out of tournament play and should Tufts advance to the finals as well, it would mark the first meeting between the two teams in the NESCAC Tournament.