Men rev up for final home game

In what was originally a game to prepare for the NESCAC conference but is now serving as a game to prepare for the playoffs, the men's basketball team will take on Clark tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Cousens Gymnasium. This final home game of the season was originally scheduled for December 6 but was postponed due to inclement weather.

While tonight's non-conference match-up has no bearing on the NESCAC playoff picture as it is now situated, Tufts does have the opportunity to improve its overall record, which is currently a dismal 7-16. Tonight's game also could help build momentum and test out some new strategies for Saturday's quarterfinal game against Trinity.

"We implemented a few new offensive plays," senior co-captain Deyvehn East said. "We run a zone, but switched to a 2-3 offensive zone. It's good that we're playing Clark to test it out against another team rather than just against ourselves in practice."

Clark currently has a 13-9 overall record and is 8-3 in its conference, the NEWMAC. Those 13 wins include two over the Wheaton College Lyons. The Jumbos lost at home against Wheaton 75-67 on January 20th. Clark, on the other hand, claimed its latest success against the Lyons in a 91-77 blowout.

Both teams were also common competitors against the MIT Engineers. Tufts earned a big 72-56 win over MIT earlier this season, while Clark split games with the Engineers, the most recent contest resulting in a 74-65 loss on February 10. Additionally, both squads lost to Amherst, Trinity, and Springfield College.

With the home court advantage, this should prove to be a winnable game for the brown and blue. However, in order for Tufts' regular season finale to be a positive one, Tufts will have to shut down Clark senior point guard Dave McNamara.

McNamara earned NEWMAC Player of the Week recognition after averaging 19.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in Clark's three game stint two weeks ago. Both WPI and Wheaton each allowed him to score 22 points, while NESCAC competitor Trinity held him to 15 points. This is the second time this season McNamara has earned such a title, the first being for the week of January 19.

This season McNamara has averaged 19.2 points per game, third highest in the NEWMAC. However, he is not the only Cougar to average in double digits. While watching McNamara on the perimeter, Tufts will also have to stop the attack from under the basket, namely in the forms of senior forward Trevor Walker and sophomore center Tim Dutille, who average 15.3 and 13.7 points per game, respectively.

Thursday most certainly will be the last home game of the season for the Jumbos, as the seventh seed in the playoffs does not bring with it the benefit of home court advantage. On Saturday, Tufts will travel to second-seeded Trinity to play in the quarterfinal NESCAC round. Earlier this season at the same location, the Bantams dealt the Jumbos a 52-74 loss.

The only way Tufts will play Cousens again this year is if it and eighth seed Middlebury both advance to the conference finals. Thus, this will likely be the final home game for senior co-captains Eric Mack and Deyvehn East as the Jumbos try to run their home record to 7-4.

"It's going to be a little disappointing being the last [home] game," East said. "But the younger guys will try to play hard so [the seniors] can be sent off with a win."