MEDFORD, MA (March 7, 2025) -- The No. 13 Tufts University men's basketball team dominated on the glass Friday afternoon, scoring 23 second-chance points to help lift the Jumbos to an 83-66 win over Yeshiva University in the opening round of the 2025 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament in Cousens Gymnasium.
With the win, Tufts (22-5) moves on to take on the University of Redlands Saturday afternoon at 5:15 p.m. in the NCAA Second Round. Redlands defeated St. Joseph's College of Maine in the day's second game in Medford.
The story of the game was the dominance of the Jumbos inside, as Tufts posted a whopping 64-33 edge on the glass which included 21 offensive rebounds. Three Jumbos had 10 or more rebounds in the game, led by a career-high 19 from junior center
Joshua Bernstein.
Yeshiva (18-11) took the early lead in the opening half, but Tufts posted a 13-2 run after the first bucket of the game to take a nine-point lead following a bucket from Bernstein. The Maccabees trimmed the Tufts' advantage down to four at 14-10 after two Zevi Samet free throws, but the Jumbos came right back with 11 straight points to make it 25-10 after a three-point play from Bernstein.
The Jumbos' lead would get as high as 22 points in the first half after a triple from sophomore
Dylan Reilly, as the hosts took a 45-25 edge into the halftime break. Junior
Scott Gyimesi led all scorers in the first half with 13 points.
YU would slowly whittle away at the Tufts' lead in the second half, getting as close at nine with nine minutes to play after a lay-up from Roy Itcovichi to make it 58-49. The Jumbos didn't wilt though, as they responded with with a 11-1 run to push the lead back up to 19 with 4:53 to go after a
Liam Kennelly jumper. The Maccabees would keep trying to rally, but back-to-back lay-ups from Kennelly and Morakis iced the game for the Jumbos.
Tufts put five players in double figures on Friday afternoon, as Morakis finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and two steals on 7-of-18 shooting. Gyimesi tallied his 14th double-double of the year with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Bernstein finished with 13 points, 19 caroms and four blocks.
Sophomore
Jon Medley was great at the free throw line, going 7-of-11 while adding 12 points, two blocks, two steals and strong defense, and Kennelly ended with 10 points. Senior
Trumann Gettings also put in a great shift off the bench with five points and 13 rebounds, while Reilly tallied six points and six rebounds.
Tufts shot just 39.7 percent from the floor for the game, but took advantage of its chances at the line as it connected on 26 of 37 free throw attempts.
Samet had a game-high 29 points for the Macs as the only player in double figures, and Itcovichi had eight points and six rebounds as well for the Skyline Conference champions.
The meeting with Tufts and Redlands Saturday will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools, separated by 2,951 miles.
--JUMBOS--
