Heading into their showdown at Cousens Gym on Saturday, Tufts and Bates were deadlocked for third place in the NESCAC. But the Jumbos were clearly the better team this weekend, jumping out to an early lead and surviving a second-half Bates surge to grab their third straight victory and 14th overall — the program's highest win total since 2007.
"We knew this game was a must-win," said junior forward Scott Anderson, who led the Jumbos with 13 points, eight boards, and two steals in the 67-62 win. "[Saturday's] game was one step closer to an NCAA berth and an even better NESCAC playoff position."
In the Jumbos' last three wins, seven players have reached double digits in points.
On Saturday, their depth was on display again, as four Jumbos — including two freshmen — put up more than 10 points.
Still, defensive composure was the key for Tufts.
"Every year, Bates is a battle for us because they try to play a similar game to us," Anderson said. "They are strong down low and very physical, so we knew it would be a battle to the end."
As expected, the Bobcats clawed back late. Tufts took a 35-23 lead into halftime, but Bates opened the second half with a 20-7 burst to grab a one-point lead with 12:22 to play. The Jumbos regained control, but a 7-3 Bobcats run pulled Bates within four, at 61-57, with 1:20 remaining.
Tufts responded again, scoring five straight points that all but sealed the win. A layup and a last-second three from Bates junior Mark Brust were too little too late, and the Jumbos took the game — and third place — staying perfect in Cousens Gym since winter break in the process.
Tufts jumped out to an early 11-2 advantage behind six of sophomore forward Tom Folliard's 11 points. With 3:55 left in the first half, Brust propelled the Bobcats to a 10-5 run to narrow the deficit to 25-20, but Tufts scored 10 of the next 13 points to lead by 12 at the intermission. The Jumbos shot at a solid 51.7 percent clip for the half while holding the Bobcats to a dismal 26.5 percent from the floor.
"It's always important for us to get good shots and make sure we are making the right passes to get guys the right looks," senior tri-captain forward James Long said. "I think we did a good job of that Saturday and I think that's why we shot well from the floor. … Offensively we wanted to get the ball inside and attack the basket. We knew if we attacked the paint the outside jumpers would open up."
Brust dominated after the break, scoring 10 points during the Bobcats' 20-7 run that gave them the lead. But a Folliard jumper and two layups from freshman Ben Ferris stymied the comeback.
"Out of the half we obviously wanted to widen the margin, but they came out with a lot of intensity," Anderson said. "They weren't a very good scoring team, but they were relentless on the glass and it showed through their big man play. We knew as long as we could stop their second-chance points we could win the game."
Senior forward Alex Orchowski did his part in the paint, grabbing 12 rebounds and blocking three shots, and freshman guards Ferris and C.J. Moss each added 11 points. Brust led all scorers with 29.
The Jumbos will look to extend their home winning streak to five tonight when they welcome UMass Dartmouth to the Hill.
The Corsairs' most recent victory was a 65-47 dismissal of Plymouth State, a team that defeated Tufts in overtime on Dec. 6. They are 0-1 against NESCAC foes this season, having lost to Bowdoin 66-61 on Nov. 19.
While weekend matchups with Trinity and national No. 7 Amherst loom, the Jumbos know better than to overlook a tough non-conference opponent.
"UMass Dartmouth is our focus right now," Anderson said. "We cannot take anyone lightly at this point in our season. The more games we win, the more every game means."
