Coming off a New England Big 4 Challenge title over the weekend, the men's basketball team was looking to maintain that momentum in its penultimate game before Winter Break. But the Plymouth State Panthers had other ideas, handing the Jumbos their second overtime loss of the year and downing Tufts for the third consecutive season.
Unlike last year's matchup, which featured an 18?point comeback by the Panthers, this game was tight throughout and featured a thrilling end to regulation.
A notable storyline in the first half was the absence of sophomore point guard Kwame Firempong, who was a key factor in Tufts' success over the weekend, scoring 32 points over two games. Firempong was taking an exam, and Panthers sophomore guard Petey Skevas took full advantage, constantly slashing into the middle of the court and pushing the ball in transition to finish the half with 10 points. The Jumbos didn't do much to help themselves either, shooting just 31 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes.
"We couldn't protect the middle of the floor at all, which is something we try to focus on in our pregame meetings. [Skevas] just kept getting into the lane and making plays for his teammates," junior guard Alex Goldfarb said. "But we needed to get the ball inside, which we didn't do, and we didn't shoot that well from the perimeter.
Firempong arrived in the second half, just when the team needed him, as the frenetic pace of the game seemed to benefit the Panthers, who used a combination of offensive rebounds and individual plays from Skevas to build a 54?43 lead with 12:49 left on the clock.
After Firempong entered the game with 9:06 remaining, Tufts managed to shave the deficit to 58?57 with just under seven minutes to play. However, Plymouth State instantly responded, and two free throws from senior forward Jesse Sabolis give the Panthers a daunting 67?61 lead with two and a half minutes to play.
Orchowski, who netted a game?high 17 points, converted a three?point play to halt Plymouth State's momentum. Then, after Firempong stole the ball and completed a layup to bring Tufts back within a point, Sabolis made arguably the most impressive play of the game, executing a perfect read, intercepting Firempong's pass and rushing the length of the floor for a dunk.
"Kwame brought some good energy to the team, but again, we didn't bring the energy for the full game," Orchowski said. "Especially considering that this was a home game, that was unacceptable."
The slam put the Jumbos down by three with just 26 seconds to go, but Tufts bounced back quickly, as Goldfarb hit a clutch, wide?open three?pointer to tie the game. Skevas' buzzer?beating layup rimmed out, sending the game to overtime.
Unfortunately, the Jumbos struggled in the extra five minutes, and Sabolis' layup 1:23 into overtime put the Panthers ahead for good, as they closed out the game 79?73. The loss was bitterly disappointing for Tufts, especially considering that the Jumbos had more rebounds, assists and steals than Plymouth State.
"Basically, they outworked us in this game," Goldfarb said. "We've got to be better prepared from the start and play 60 minutes of strong basketball, especially on defense. We would play good defense for 30 seconds and then give up an offensive rebound and an easy putback."
The Jumbos will have an opportunity to improve on Saturday at home against MIT in their last game before winter break. The team will be looking to end the calendar year on a high note, especially after the lackluster finish against the Panthers.
"We see this as an opportunity to make up for tonight," Orchowski said. "We want to end on a good note before the break, and we need to come out with much more energy against MIT."
