The men's basketball season is winding down, and with three exhausting months of play behind them, the Jumbos can finally set their sights on the playoffs. With five wins in NESCAC play this season, Tufts' record is good enough for a six seed in the conference tournament, and all systems are go for a trip to Williamstown tomorrow.
But first thing's first.
Before their first-round tilt with the Ephs this weekend, the Jumbos had one final hurdle: a non-conference game with the UMass Boston Beacons. They responded with a resounding victory, pulling away 93-76, and resisting the temptation to overlook their Little East foes with the NESCAC playoffs looming.
"I'd like to say that every one of us wanted to get this game, but I think it took a lot of extra effort to focus on this one," junior forward Jake Weitzen said. "Everyone was thinking about Williams. But it was nice to see us come out and play good, tough D and box out."
Down 16-14 midway through the first half, Tufts went on a tear before halftime, scoring 11-straight points and closing out the half on a 28-9 run. Coach Bob Sheldon emptied his bench when the lead hit 30 in the second half, but his team still held on for the 17-point win.
Weitzen led the way for the Jumbos with 22 points and 11 rebounds, while senior tri-captain Brian Fitzgerald chipped in 11 points and a game-high 12 boards of his own.
Defensively, junior guard Ryan O'Keefe contained Beacons senior co-captain Tony Barros, holding the Little East Conference's leading scorer to 8-of-22 shooting from the floor.
"Ryan's really been playing great D," Weitzen said. "And last time we played Williams, he was very tough on [junior] Chris Rose. He's kind of become our defensive stopper. Especially with [senior tri-captain Dave Shepherd's] injuries, we've needed him to play great D lately."
O'Keefe played airtight defense against Barros, who has scored 30 or more points five times this season, dropping as many as 46 against Colby-Sawyer on Nov. 25. O'Keefe's opponent in tomorrow's Williams game, Rose is the NESCAC's sixth-leading scorer, averaging 15.6 points per game in his junior season.
Sheldon came into the game with just 14 players on his active roster - sitting junior guard Jeremy Black because of an ankle injury and sophomore forward Jon Pierce for disciplinary reasons - and by the game's final buzzer, all 14 had seen at least six minutes of playing time and scored at least once. Sheldon was happy with how his freshmen class performed in the second half.
"They did well," Sheldon said. "At the end, it got a little ragged, but that's because we had guys out of position. But during the game, when they were playing in their positions, they did a good job. We scored, we ran, we played some D. It's a good glimpse of the future - I think it's going to be pretty good."
Freshman guard Dan Cook led the rookies with four points, while forward Brian Lowry added three, and a trio of newbies - guard Reed Morgan, forward Dave Beyel and center Tom Selby - each added two, with Selby's coming on an electrifying dunk midway through the second half.
"Those guys are always in there working out," Weitzen said. "It's nice to see them show off what they can do, and get some game experience."
With the win over the Beacons behind them, the 15-9 Jumbos can now turn their attention back to the upcoming NESCAC playoffs.
"We'd been practicing for both teams, but more with an eye on Williams," Sheldon said. "Tonight we wanted to come in, get some game situations, and get some of our younger guys in the game too. That's why we played everybody."
While not everyone will play in Saturday's showdown in Williamstown, the Jumbos will be relieved to have their bench back to full strength. Junior Jeremy Black is set to return after two weeks of resting his ankle, and Pierce's suspension is over as well.
Shepherd has also battled injury, having leg problems on and off ever since the Keene State game on Dec. 6, but he should also be good to go tomorrow. Healthy or not, everyone is ready to put it all on the line for the NESCAC Tournament.
"Guys will be banged up," Weitzen said. "But guys are getting rest - Shep hasn't practiced this week, and Jeremy hasn't practiced. So I think we'll be ready."
