Men gear up for playoff push

At the beginning of the week, prospects for the men's basketball team looked bleak after a pair of blowout losses to league rivals Amherst and Trinity.

Then, in its most impressive game to date, the Jumbos knocked off national vote getter and former number 24, Keene State, Tuesday night at home.

On the heels of that victory, Tufts enters a crucial campaign this weekend against NESCAC competitors Bowdoin and Colby. The Jumbos currently sit in a tie with Middlebury for seventh place in the conference, and with two weeks left of regular season play, the upcoming road trip will help to finalize the playoff picture.

"We are pumped up," sophomore Dan Martin said, "But, we aren't going let that change the way we do things. We were happy to have that win, but it doesn't help our playoff goal."

As far as the competition goes, Bowdoin holds the slight edge in the standings, where it is currently in sixth place with a 3-3 NESCAC record. Both Bowdoin and Tufts were able to knock off cellar dweller Connecticut College (5-13,0-5) earlier in the season. However, while Tufts succumbed to Wesleyan 88-100 on Jan. 17, the Polar Bears were able to dismiss the Cardinals 93-85 that next weekend.

A key contributor for Bowdoin in that game was sophomore forward Kyle Petrie, who also is the leading scorer for the Polar Bears this season. Petrie has averaged 19 points per game, including a 26 point outburst against Wesleyan. Preventing the 6-5 forward from getting hot will be a major concern for the Jumbos.

Also instrumental in Bowdoin's victory over Wesleyan was clutch shooting from beyond the arc by senior guard TJ McLeod, who contributed four of the game's 12 three-pointers. McLeod has struggled this season, shooting only 38.9 percent, but still averages 15.5 points per game.

With the top eight teams in the conference making the playoffs, a victory against Bowdoin all but assures the Jumbos a bid. Saturday's game against struggling Colby (5-15, 1-5) is no less important, however, as any NESCAC win will help push the Jumbos into higher seeds, and easier post-season competition.

Colby currently sits one slot below Tufts in ninth place, though each team has only one NESCAC win -- both against tenth place Connecticut College. The main threat from the White Mules comes from junior tri-captain Patrick McGowan who has been averaging a modest 14.9 points per game.

"We should be able to beat them," Martin said. "After last Tuesday, we are ready to go out and take on whoever is next."

In order for that to happen, Tufts must see significant contributions from several different players, as it did against Keene State. Tuesday's game saw five players in double-digits. According to East, the Jumbos benefited from standout performances from big men Martin and classmate Blaine Lay, as well as junior Reggie Stovell, each adding 17, 17, and 19 points, respectively. Eric Mack also stepped up offensively, hitting two three-pointers, and helping to break the Keene's full court press.

Meanwhile, East also picked up his level of play, adding 20 points and a team high six rebounds.

"I played more aggressive offensively," East said. "I took the shots I thought I could make and it worked out."

Tuesday's victory over Keene State has given the team confidence heading into the important upcoming stretch.

"Talent wise we match up with any of the teams we have played," East said. "The areas where we are lacking are execution and focus. That was a big part of Tuesday's success. We came in mentally focused and played hard."