The men's basketball team won back-to-back games this weekend at Cousens Gym, with a come-from-behind victory over Connecticut College, 74-65, on Saturday coming on the heels of a 95-70 blowout win over Wesleyan.
Conn. College blazed out to an early lead in Saturday's contest, as sophomore center Charles Stone and freshman guard Billy Karis led the Camels to a 12-2 advantage, threatening to put the game away before Tufts could even get its foot in the door.
After the lackluster start, however, sophomores Jake Weitzen and Jeremy Black led the Jumbos on a charge before halftime. Weitzen scored 11 of his game-high 21 points in the first half to propel the Tufts offense.
Black added eight of his 12 points in the first as well, and it was his three-pointer with 5:24 remaining before the break that gave the Jumbos their first lead of the game, 31-30. The Camels silenced the Tufts comeback, however, closing out the first half with a 9-0 run to take a 39-34 lead.
In the locker room, the Jumbos were quick to adjust their game plan to out-hustle the young, inexperienced Camels squad.
"We changed our half-court presses a bit, and we played a lot more zone," coach Bob Sheldon said. "We wanted to play them up-tempo - we thought we could wear them down."
Sophomore guard Ryan O'Keefe and junior forward Brian Kumf came to life after the break, each pouring in 10 points in the second half. O'Keefe would finish the game with 13 points, while Kumf had a team-leading eight rebounds to go with his 12 points.
With halftime adjustments and sharper play, Tufts took control of the game with a 14-2 run early in the second half. The Jumbos earned their third straight NESCAC win in convincing fashion, walking away with the nine-point victory over the visiting Camels.
The win over Conn. College came just two days after the Jumbos' trouncing of the NESCAC-rival Wesleyan Cardinals on Friday night.
O'Keefe scored 12 points and junior tri-captain Dave Shepherd added 11 of his own, but it was senior tri-captain Dan Martin who once again led the way with 16 points.
"Dan has been amazing all year," fellow senior tri-captain Brian Fitzgerald said. "With him inside and all the other guys on the floor being able to shoot, it's a deadly combination."
The Jumbos never trailed against Wesleyan, jumping out a huge lead early on and never looking back. An O'Keefe three-pointer with 7:33 remaining in the first half gave Tufts a whopping 30-12 lead, and Sheldon tested the depth of his bench, giving all fifteen players time on the court.
A number of Tufts players came off the bench for impressive performances. Black finished the game with 10 assists, becoming the first Jumbo in double figures in assists this season. Junior Jason Grauer and freshman Carl Onubogu each contributed six rebounds, and junior Dacson Sears knocked down three treys, finishing with 11 points.
"It's really a tribute to them," Sheldon said of his bench players. "They all come in as a team, and they all look like they fit right in."
The early lead benefited the team greatly, allowing Sheldon to give his starters a breather and his subs some experience during its quick two-game stretch.
"It benefits us more in these NESCAC weekends," Kumf said. "We can get more guys rested."
Kumf also praised the Jumbos' performances off the bench.
"Dacs [Sears] really shot the lights out," he said. "And [freshman guard] Aaron [Gallant] has really come into his own."
The Jumbos' record now stands at 14-4, and 4-2 in NESCAC play. The team has just three conference games left on its schedule, but its remaining opponents - Bates, Trinity and Amherst - will arguably be the toughest of the season.
Tufts heads on the road to play Western Connecticut tonight and is at UMass-Boston on Thursday. The Jumbos then find themselves back home to face Bates next weekend. The Bobcats, currently 17-2, sit atop the NESCAC with an unblemished 6-0 league record. To stay undefeated, however, Bates must come through Cousens, where the Jumbos are 8-1 this season.
About the game against Bates, Sheldon said: "If we can get the fans here and get this place rocking, it should be a great game."
