Coming off a thrilling 100-point performance against Salem State, the men's basketball team looked to continue its high-octane style of play on Tuesday night at Suffolk. While the Jumbos were unable to repeat the fast-paced, sharp-shooting play they demonstrated in a win on Sunday, they were able to overcome a seven-point halftime deficit to post their 13th consecutive victory over the Rams.
With the win, Tufts improved its record to 3-1 on the season.
"It was a good win, especially after a big, emotional win against Salem State," coach Bob Sheldon said. "The guys had a little bit of a letdown, but we held it together."
Sloppy play and ice cold shooting put Tufts in a hole early. The Jumbos experienced shooting woes from the normally reliable trio of sophomore Phil Barlow and juniors Mike McGlynn and Brian Shapiro.
After his 26-point outburst on Sunday, McGlynn shot only 2-11 against Suffolk. The combination of Barlow and McGlynn shot a mere 6-22 on the evening, and the Jumbos found themselves down 33-26 at the half.
"We came out pretty sluggish in the first half," Barlow said. "We weren't shooting really well. We didn't really have any patience."
In the second half, Tufts outscored the Rams 45-31, as Shapiro led the way with 16 points on the night. With some of its top scorers struggling, the team needed to turn elsewhere for contributions. Freshman center Craig Coupe netted nine points on 4-5 shooting, and sophomore guard Eric Mack came off of the bench to contribute a clutch three pointer. Freshman forward Reggie Stovell also added four points and six rebounds in fifteen minutes of action. And junior Jim Wilson was once again a crucial contributor, coming off the bench to shoot 4-5 for nine points.
"We got some great contributions from other areas," Sheldon said. "Craig Coupe played great. He blocked two shots for us, which was huge, and he stepped up in a big way."
Apart from important contributions from the bench, defense was a key factor in the Jumbos victory. Coming into the game, Tufts was focused on containing Suffolk senior Jason Luisi, who last year cracked the 1,000-career point barrier in a game against the Jumbos. Despite Luisi's 4-6 shooting from downtown, Tufts was able to hold the senior to 18 points on the night.
"I thought we played well defensively," Barlow said. "We did a great job containing Luisi."
Tufts shot 41 percent on the night, compared to 57 percent in Sunday's victory over Salem State. But despite the falloff, the Jumbos are not concerned.
"We really just need to be more patient." Barlow said. "Against Salem State we were patient and took good shots. Against Suffolk it seemed like we were just taking every shot we could get."
Sheldon likewise wasn't worried. "Some of our guys weren't shooting well last night," he said. "But we have enough shooters that if one or two guys are off, then somebody else will pick it up."
And while the win wasn't as flashy as it could have been, nobody seems to be complaining. "We definitely didn't play our best," Barlow said. "But we got the win. That's what good teams do, they win even when they're playing badly."
Next up for Tufts will be a road contest against Springfield (2-1), a team which Tufts topped by 19 points last year but is taking seriously this season. "(Springfield) is generally a good team, a lot like Salem," Barlow said. "We're gonna have to play hard and be very mentally prepared. We'll need to be more patient and selective with our shots."
Tufts and Springfield square off at 7 pm on Saturday.
