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Basketball

The Setonian
Basketball

Women's Basketball | Squad struggles in Verplank's absence

January 24

Since beating Fitchburg State on Jan. 8 to move to 8-1 on the season, the women's basketball team has lost six straight games. The team's last win was also the same day that junior point guard Julia Verplank went down with a knee injury on a first-half play. Verplank, who has led the offense from the point since coming to Tufts, was the team leader in rebounds (5.2 per game) and assists (3.0 per game) and also averged 9.4 points per night. Even more important to the Jumbos, however, was her ball-handling and court presence. "It has taken a while to click," coach Carla Berube said. "When you lose your point guard, your floor general, it's tough." In Verplank's absence, sophomore Taryn Miller-Stevens has started at point guard, and the team's other guards, senior co-captain Erin Connolly, junior Jessica Powers, and sophomore Valerie Krah, have had stepped into the backcourt to help with ball-handling duties. "Everyone's role changed after she got hurt," Powers said. "It's a lot of pressure on everybody because point guard is such an important position." "[Verplank] is a great competitor and a great defender," Berube said. "We've done a good job stepping up without her. Everybody knows they have to do a little more with her not playing." While both coach Berube and Powers seemed confident that the team can bounce back from Verplank's injury, they said that it has had a psychological impact on the team. "We've talked about it," Berube said. "Everybody understands that we're going to have to play without her. Good teams bounce back from injuries, and we know that, but underneath it probably has affected us. She meant so much to our team." Powers, Verplank's backcourt mate for the past three years, took the injury especially hard, but remained optimistic about the rest of the season. "Julia's one of my best friends, so I was pretty upset by it," Powers said. "And obviously it's hard for her to watch and not be able to play. But the team's still just as close; we just have to make some adjustments. We still have the confidence that we can be a good team." This mental hit to team chemistry has played out on the court as the Jumbos have lost six straight of its last eight games. The team has struggled to score as the average offensive output has dropped from 71.3 points per game to 54.3 in Verplank's absence. Losing its leading ball-handler has taken its toll on the Jumbos' passing game as the team has averaged nearly four more turnovers per game. Powers also cited the increased responsibility that falls on her own shoulders without her backcourt partner. "Playing at the one and the two [positions] for the last three years, we shared that role," Powers said. "And Julia can still be a leader from the bench, but I know that I have to step up even more." Sitting at 0-4 in the conference, the Jumbos desperately need to right the ship. With Miller-Stevens filling in and Powers stepping up, Tufts has the backcourt depth to overcome the loss of their point guard, even one as good as Verplank. But a turnaround will require the rest of the team to find their roles quickly in order to break out of the current losing streak.

The Setonian
Basketball

Men's Basketball | Jumbos continue hot play despite low temps

January 24

While most Tufts students spent their winter break relaxing and visiting friends and family, the men's basketball team was busy winning three out of five games, getting off to a perfect start and equaling their win total from all of last year. The Jumbos, who have now won nine of their last 12 games to boost their record to 10-6, opened their NESCAC schedule well, defeating Colby and Bowdoin at Cousens Gymnasium. "We played really well [over break]," senior tri-captain Jesse Belodoff said. "We're pretty young so there will be bumps and steps forward and backward all season, but overall, we're moving in the right direction." Hosting Bowdoin on Jan. 15, the Jumbos jumped on the Polar Bears from the very opening whistle and never trailed, winning 82-65. Senior tri-captain Reggie Stovell scored on a layup just five seconds into the game, triggering a 7-0 run that would set the tone. Bowdoin failed to find any rhythm as they shot just 22 percent from the floor in the first half. While they would turn it around in the second half, shooting 42.5 percent, the Polar Bears could not get closer than 13 points as the Jumbos put the game away with a 16-0 run triggered by two Stovell free throws with 11:19 left. Stovell, who finished with 19 points against Bowdoin, played phenomenally all break, averaging 19.4 points and 9.6 rebounds over the course of the five-game stretch. "He is our most valuable player," Belodoff said. "He should be NESCAC Player of the Year at this point. He is everything to us. He makes us go." In the Jumbos' previous conference game against Colby, Stovell dropped in 17 points and added 13 rebounds in the Jumbos' 76-69 victory. The Tufts offense, whose 83.1 points per game make the Jumbos the top scoring team in the NESCAC, did not have an easy time against Colby's No. 1 ranked defense. While the Jumbos led 41-39 at the half, the Mules tightened the defensive screws in the second half, holding Tufts to only seven points in the first 6:40 and claiming a 59-48 lead. With the Jumbos trailing 65-57 with 7:18 left in the ballgame, Stovell completed a three-point play, hitting a free throw after getting fouled on a layup. When Colby responded with a layup, Stovell hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to four. A three-pointer by freshman Ryan O'Keefe was followed by another Stovell basket to give the Jumbos a lead that they would not relinquish. Suddenly, it was the Jumbos playing the tough defense, as the squad held Colby to eight points in the final 13:20. "Defense [was the key to the run]," Belodoff said. "We're going to score points. We're an explosive team. It's always a question of whether we play defense. They missed some shots and we played really hard on defense." After going on to win their two conference games after break, the Jumbos now hold a 4-0 conference record which puts them tied atop the NESCAC standings with Bates, with Amherst trailing a half-game behind with a 3-0 mark. The Jumbos are excited about their start in conference. "The rest of the season we kind of consider the preseason to the NESCAC," sophomore David Shepherd said. "We look at those nine NESCAC games as the real season. Everything else is just a test to make us better for the conference games." The Jumbos could not follow up their conference success with a win on the road on Jan. 18 against red-hot Wheaton, winners of their last 10. Scoring half their points off 13 Tufts turnovers, the Lyons jumped out to a 44-31 first half lead. The Jumbos did not quit, however, chipping away at the lead and cutting it to four with 15:25 left on a three-pointer by freshman Jake Weitzen. They could get no closer, however, as the Lyons shot 50 percent in the second half and won the game 91-79. The loss was the second in a row for the Jumbos on the road. While the 2003-2004 squad failed to win a single away game, this years' Jumbos compiled a 5-1 record away from Cousens Gym in their first six road games. That streak was snapped, however, when the Jumbos lost to Brandeis 87-72 on Jan. 12. The Jumbos were bombarded all game long by the Judges' three freshman starters who combined to score 61 points. Brandeis had a hot shooting night, going 58.6 percent from the floor, 42.9 percent from beyond the arc and 92.9 from the line. Although Tufts fell short, junior Dan Martin had a big game for the Jumbos, scoring 13 points and grabbing 13 rebounds for the double-double. Over the five-game winter break stretch, Martin has averaged 11.6 points and 7.4 rebounds. "He's come up huge," Shepherd said. "He's rebounding really well. Right now, he's coming into his own and really finding his place on the court." The Jumbos started the break with a 116-97 triumph over UMass Boston. The scoring explosion was the Jumbos' greatest output since 1991. "A lot of guys, especially the older ones, thought that was the most fun game," Shepherd said. "We fought and crawled our way to get above .500 before break and we didn't want to give that up."

The Setonian
Basketball

Men's Basketball | Tufts bounces back after OT loss

December 9

After dropping a heartbreaking 98-97 overtime loss to Plymouth State on Tuesday evening at Cousens Gym, the men's basketball team bounced back and ended the fall semester on a positive note by defeating the Suffolk Rams on the road on Wednesday evening 88-70. The two game split put the team at 5-4 on the season, after winning three straight road games last week.

The Setonian
Basketball

Women's Basketball | Tufts survives Wheaton scare to stay undefeated

December 7

The Jumbos finally had a close game, but in the end the result was the same as it has been all season. Despite trailing by three points at halftime, the women's basketball team rallied in the second half to come away with a 67-60 victory at Wheaton on Monday. It was the sixth straight win for Tufts (6-0), marking the best start for the Jumbos since a 7-0 run to open the 1991-92 season. "It was surprising," coach Carla Berube said of the game's close score. "It was not our best game; it was probably one of the worst first halves we've played in awhile." The game was close throughout the first half, and with five and a half minutes to go the score was knotted at 21. From there Wheaton took advantage of sloppy ball handling by the Jumbos to take the lead at the half. A runner in the lane by Kim McCormack secured the 30-27 advantage for the Lyons. "We weren't playing our brand of basketball," Berube said. "We weren't playing with the kind of intensity that we need to, and that we expect." Tufts trailed at the half despite out-shooting Wheaton 55 percent to 39 percent. The Jumbos were hurt by 17 first half turnovers, which allowed Wheaton to take 11 more shots. "Wheaton played very hard," Berube said. "They were getting to the loose balls and getting in the passing lanes, and we just weren't taking care of [the ball]." Like they have been doing all season, the Jumbos responded with a huge second half run, outscoring Wheaton 27-6 over the first ten minutes and change of the half. That spurt pushed the Tufts lead well into double digits, but the Lyons responded with an 11-2 run of their own to trim the lead to nine. Berube commented on the team's streakiness after the game. "We've been playing that way," she said. "We need to do a better job of stopping our opponents' runs. Whether we're really streaky, or just get into a little bit of a lull, that needs to change." Tufts scored enough down the stretch to keep Wheaton out of striking distance and come away with the seven point win. The Jumbos turned the ball over just five times in the second half, while holding Wheaton to just 31 percent shooting. Junior Jessica Powers led the Jumbos with a game-high 25 points on eight of 14 shooting and three of four from three point range. Sophomore Valerie Krah continued her strong play off the bench, contributing 18 points and three steals, and shooting a perfect three of three on three pointers. Krah has shot better than 52 percent from three point range in Tufts' season-opening six-game winning streak. McCormack and Kate Williams led Wheaton with 12 points each. The Jumbos look to remain perfect in their non-conference schedule Thursday night, when they travel to Boston to take on Suffolk University. The game will be Tufts' last of the first semester. "There are things we need to improve," Berube said. "We need to get better in a lot of areas, but I'm happy with a 6-0 record. I'll be even happier if we're 7-0. But we're going to work hard during the semester break and be ready to start the NESCAC season."

The Setonian
Basketball

Men's Basketball | Jumbos engineer victory at MIT

December 1

All night, the men's basketball team couldn't buy a basket. But after trailing at MIT the entire game and being down by as many as eight points in the second half, Tufts got two big buckets when it needed them and came away from Rockwell Cage with a 54-51 victory on Tuesday. Senior forward Reggie Stovell scored off of an offensive rebound with 38 seconds remaining to put the Jumbos up for good 52-51, and junior Dan Martin, with a rebound and putback off of a missed free throw by sophomore guard David Sheperd, put the Jumbos up by three with twenty seconds left. The Engineers attempted a tying three pointer at the buzzer, but it was short and the Jumbos held off for the victory. The game, and the paint, belonged to Stovell. On a night where no other Jumbo scored more than six points, the tri-captain went 5 of 10 from the field and scored a total of twenty points. He also led the team with 16 rebounds, giving him a double-double. "Reggie was definitely important to our win," coach Bob Sheldon said. "He did a great job." The team as a whole shot 16 of 57 from the field, only a 28 percent success rate. Was this a cause for concern? "We took a lot of shots, and some went in and some didn't. I think it was a good showing that we only shot 28 percent and [still] managed to score 54 points," Sheldon continued. "Our defense really helped to win the game. We held them to 51 points, which was good." MIT's paltry 51 is the lowest point total that the Jumbos have held their opponents to yet this year. Not only that, but MIT only attempted eight free throws for the entire game while Stovell alone converted nine freebies for Tufts. The Jumbos had a good defensive showing, yet remained disciplined. They only committed 15 personal fouls, while MIT had 25. This season the Jumbos have consistently committed more fouls than their opponents, but on Tuesday they reversed the trend, shooting 18 of 31 from the charity stripe, while MIT made good on only three of its eight attempts. Junior guard Mike D'Auria led the Engineers with 19 points and was seven of 13 from the field. Adam Gibbons, a senior guard for the Engineers, chipped in with 14. He was only two of eight from beyond the three-point arc, and another guard, MIT freshman Will Mroz, was only two of ten from three point range. MIT didn't possess the size inside that Tufts did, so it was forced to remain in the backcourt and shoot long balls with its three guards. The Engineers went six of 25 shooting three pointers. Tufts also took its share of threes (four of 15) but relied more on Stovell and Martin dominating the paint. Martin, the 6'9" junior center, contributed 10 boards and four points to the effort. His height was an important factor in securing the win, grabbing two important rebounds in the final minute. The Jumbos outscored the Engineers 22-16 in the paint and out-rebounded them by a margin of 48-40. On the offensive boards, the margin was 23-14, giving the Jumbos far more second-chance points, which contributed to the advantage in paint points. This helped since the shots were not dropping consistently for Tufts on Tuesday night. Senior tri-captain Drew Kaklamanos, scored four points on 1-11 shooting from the field.Sophomore forward Brian Kumf scored six points, as did freshman Jake Weitzen. A total of nine Jumbos contributed to the scoring, while only six did for MIT. But what the Jumbos really had going for them was the emotion factor. "At halftime, we were down eight," Sheldon said. "And we got emotions involved. This was the most important factor in the team's success." Yet, even after its first victory in ten days, Sheldon is under no illusion that the team is at its best: "We need to make our shots," the coach said. "While we were able to overcome that, it's something we need to do better against Babson." The Jumbos travel to Babson tonight hoping to improve on their 2-3 record.

The Setonian
Basketball

Men's Basketball | Men open season with split

November 21

After traveling all the way to St. Louis, Mo. to open its season in the Lopata Classic, the men's basketball team split its two games, defeating Whittier College after losing to host Washington University.

The Setonian
Basketball

Men's Basketball | Jumbos start season against 28th ranked Bears in Missouri

November 18

The first games of the season for the men's basketball team will not be played in Cousens Gym or even in New England. Instead, the Jumbos travel west of the Mississippi for the first two games of their 101st season. Tufts will play the Washington University in St. Louis Bears tonight at 8 p.m. in the 21st annual Lopata Classic, with Whittier and Wittenberg squaring off in an earlier game. The two losers will play for third place tomorrow, followed by the two winners meeting in the evening championship game.

The Setonian
Basketball

Women's Basketball | Jumbos host first annual Tufts invitational

November 18

The women's basketball team will tip-off its season this weekend when it hosts the first annual Tufts Invitational Tournament. The Jumbos will battle Bryn Mawr College tonight and either Endicott College or Smith College on Saturday. Tufts has not had much experience playing against the Centennial Conference team, but coach Carla Berube is preparing for what she believes will be a challenge and test for her team.

The Setonian
Basketball

Men's Basketball | Last year's losses leave plenty of question marks

November 16

The off-season was hard on the men's basketball team, but that doesn't dampen coach Bob Sheldon's optimism. "We've got 13 guys on the team and they started working out since the week after the season ended last year," Sheldon said. "They have worked really well and really bought into the system. We're going to make up for the experience we lost with teamwork." Tufts graduated its leading scorer and rebounder in the form of former co-captain Deyvehn East. East set an example both on and off the court last season averaging 12.5 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game while helping to sustain moral during its 8-17 (2-7 NESCAC) run. Those who will also be absent from this year's roster include former co-captain Eric Mack, who graduated with East in the spring, now-junior Blaine Lay, who transferred to James Madison over the summer, and classmate Scott Armstrong who will study abroad in the spring. Mack led the team in assists last year with 83, Armstrong was second in total points scored with 229, while Lay was the second leading rebounder, averaging 6.2 boards per game, and the third highest point producer with 224 on the year. "Deyvehn was very athletic had experience," coach Bob Sheldon said. "Eric was our point guard and played most of the time. We're going to miss the experience that they, and the two juniors, brought to the games." Even with these key players, the Jumbos did not fare well last year, especially in the NESCAC. They averaged just 66.7 points per game, compared with their opponents' 76.6. Tufts did out-rebound its competition, 39.6 to 36.4 per game, with the help of Lay and East, but surrendered 19.6 turnovers every forty minutes. To better these statistics, Tufts will have to both compensate for its losses and potentially change its game plan against its highly-competitive league rivals. Sheldon is confident in his team's ability to do these very things. This year's squad will be anchored by senior tri-captains Reggie Stovell, Jesse Belodoff and Andrew Kaklamanos. 6'9" junior Dan Martin, who averaged 8.0 PPG with 4.6 RPG last season, will have to use his size to help fill in under the boards and drive to the basket. The team roster also includes four juniors and three sophomores along with three new freshmen. "Martin and Stovell will be starting in the 4-5, and Brian Fitzgerald and Casey D'Annolfo will be other big guys inside," Sheldon said. "We're going to do rebound by committee and send five big guys to the boards. Last year we were so deep, we had to get some rotations going. Dan and Reggie will be getting more time, and we're excited about it." Sheldon also expects several freshmen to break out on the offensive side of the court this winter. "[Freshmen] Ryan O'Keefe and Jake Weitzen are both going to play and we expect them to be big contributors. They were both big scorers on their high school teams," he said. Though they did not put up many wins against league opponents last year, the Jumbos did make the postseason tournament. However, they lost in the first round to Trinity on Feb. 21 by a score of 57-72. It was the second time that season that the Jumbos had fallen to the Bantams, and to add insult to injury, now-senior Craig Coupe, who played for Tufts for two seasons before transferring to Trinity, was on the winning side of the court in February. Tufts will be out to avenge this loss this season. "There's a little extra something there when we play Trinity," Sheldon said. "But there's also something with Williams and Amherst too. [However], I think with Trinity it's a little bit more personal." Tufts has been training hard throughout the preseason in hopes of improving from last season. So far the team and coaching staff feel optimistic as they prepare for their first games at the Lopata Classic in St. Louis, MO this coming weekend. "As a staff, we're really excited about going this season," Sheldon said. "The guys will give us and each other any thing we might ask them to give. Right now we're playing as more of a team than we have in the past few years."HOOPS STATS1 Games the Jumbos won in 13 tries away from Cousens Gym last season.292 Team's three-point percentage in 2003-04.387 Opponent's three-point percentage in 2003-0417 Times Deyvehn East, Blaine Lay, or Scott Armstrong led the team in scoring (all are gone this year)0 Number of times Tufts won back to back games last season

The Setonian
Basketball

Men's Basketball | Returning role players ready to step to front

November 16

Despite key losses, the men's basketball team is confident that it will fill the holes left by graduation and transfer. With question marks arising due to the losses of 2003-04 co-captains Deyvehn East and Eric Mack, along with juniors Blaine Lay, who transferred to James Madison, and Scott Armstrong, who is not playing this season, the remaining players claim to have the answers. There will be plenty of opportunity for members of this year's team to fill the void, as East, Mack, Lay, and Armstrong logged the most time on the court last winter. Sophomore Dave Shepherd, who averaged 6.3 points and 2.5 assists per game last season as the primary backup to Mack at the point, concedes that while much of last year's team is gone, they are not forgotten. "Like any team that loses two senior captains that played the majority of the minutes at their respective positions, it is going to be hard to adjust in the early going," Shepherd said. "However, the buzz around the locker room is very positive," the sophomore point guard continued. "The guys have worked very hard in the offseason and the attitude is significantly different." Along with the uncertainty of many players stepping into new roles is the opportunity for the team to shed the identity of last season's 8-17 (2-7 NESCAC) record. Shepherd and his teammates are embracing the opportunity to begin anew. "In contrast to last year, there is a dedication to running the ball and playing a conservative non-gambling defense," Shepherd said. "We plan to make these styles of play the staples of our program." Also figuring to make an impact this season is Dan Martin, who put up 8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game last winter filling in at the power positions. Martin, who started in 12 of the team's 25 games last year, and senior Reggie Stovell, an integral member of the 2003-04 squad, will need to establish themselves as inside presences for the team to succeed this fall. Forwards Brian Kumf, a sophomore, and junior Brian Fitzgerald will also see increased opportunity on the court due to the vacancies. As a freshman, Kumf averaged 6.3 points and 3.8 rebounds in only 13.5 minutes per game. At the guard position, senior co-captains Andrew Kaklamanos and Jesse Belodoff will be joining Shepherd. Kaklamanos regularly came off the bench as a junior to fill in for East at shooting guard. Sophomore guard Roff Trethewey will be redshirting this season. While the men's basketball team had many vacancies entering training camp, the players all came in ready to make an impact as individuals and as a group. With plenty of returning and incoming talent, the 2004-05 installment of Jumbo hoops is ready to establish its own identity. "Last year is still fresh in our memories," Shepherd said. "But we feel like a new team with a lot to prove, and a lot of potential."

The Setonian
Basketball

Men's basketball tackles NESCAC best

January 29

If you ever had the inclination to follow the men's basketball team on the road, then this weekend is a great opportunity to see one of the most loaded games of the season. The men's basketball team faces a back-to-back NESCAC punch this weekend with a game at Amherst on Friday at 7 p.m. and at Trinity on Saturday at 3 p.m. Victories in these games could catapult the 5-11 Jumbos into playoff contention, while losses could drop them into last place in the conference. But wins and losses aside, there is another factor that makes this weekend's road trip intriguing. On Saturday, the Jumbos will come face-to-face with former teammate Craig Coupe, now a junior at Trinity. And with a fresh wound turning into a fierce rivalry, this game promises to deliver an intense and physical grudge match that would make the Detroit Pistons' Bad Boy teams proud. "We want to kill him," sophomore Dan Martin said. Coupe, Tufts' former 6'7" all-NESCAC center, transferred to league-rival Trinity last summer in order to pursue a business degree, a program that Tufts doesn't offer. In his two years at Tufts, Coupe was named NESCAC Freshman of the Year in 2001 and to the All-NESCAC second team the season after. He closed out his sophomore year averaging 13.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. Playing along side him was forward Reggie Stovell. "Coupe is a good friend of mine and a great player in my opinion," Stovell said. "Off the court he is my friend, but on the court he is somebody else. He is my rival." Currently at center for Trinity, Coupe has still proven to be a force from the paint -- second in the league in field goal percentage (57.9 percent), fourth in rebounding (9.5 per game), and fifth in blocked shots (1.27 per game). "Guys are gunning for him," Stovell said. "His leaving the team hurt us, and now that he plays for Trinity. Well, that pisses us off." Coupe's departure from the Jumbo squad resulted in the loss of his numbers and left a gaping hole on the court, which inevitably forced this year's squad to shift around its entire offensive game plan. While he was at it, he left some of his friendships on the rocks as well. "He has been up to Tufts once or twice and tried to get in contact with us, but he pretty much sold us out," Martin said. Martin at 6'9" and fellow sophomore 6'7" Blaine Lay have both had to step up to fill the Coupe gap. They will also be responsible for guarding Coupe on Saturday, as well as 6'6" forward Tyler Rhoten, who has been average 18 points per game. "I'm going to be physical with him," Martin said. "If you hit him a couple of times you can get him out of his game." Coupe or no Coupe, the Jumbos have got themselves two tough opponents to face. Amherst sits currently at number three in the nation, while Trinity finds itself at number eleven. Tufts looks to control both games from the get go, not giving the opponents a chance to make a run. "We want to play like we did against Bates," Stovell said. "Our game plan is to play hard, intelligent, and together." Tufts must be at the top of its game to make it through this weekend 2-0. And make it through they must because, at third and fourth place in the NESCAC, Amherst and Trinity are at the heart of the obstacles the Jumbos will have to overcome if they want make a run for the playoffs.

The Setonian
Basketball

Men's basketball continues to struggle

January 21

While most of their fellow Jumbos were relishing in the respite that winter break provides, the men's basketball team was plodding its way through a winter campaign. The unsuccessful six-game stretch came to an end on Tuesday, with a 75-67 loss to Wheaton. "We did not get it done," senior co-captain Eric Mack said in reference to the Wheaton game. "We played well for most of the game, but not good enough to win." The story of the Wheaton game is the same as many of the games Tufts has played this season. The Jumbos shot out of the gait with a nine-point lead in the early minutes of the game, only to see it disintegrate to a four-point deficit at the end of the half. Tufts kept it close in the second, and tied the game at 54-54 with just over seven minutes left. The team was unable to regain the lead, however, as Wheaton pulled away with an 8-2 run. "We have to play as hard as we can from the beginning of the game, not just the last ten minutes," Mack said. "Sometimes we take a few plays off and teams come back. We're not playing hard for 40 minutes." The Lyons notched their ninth victory of the season with the victory, while the Jumbos took their tenth loss, the fifth of the six winter-break games. Previous to the Wheaton loss, Tufts split back-to-back games against its first NESCAC competitors of the season. The Jumbos got their only win of the break in a 77-70 victory over Connecticut College last Friday. Unlike their other matches, the Jumbos saw their six-point half-time lead turn into a victory, which included recovering from a 26-16 Camel run that culminated in a tie score (57-57) with 8-minutes left in regulation. The victory ended a five game losing streak for the Jumbos -- the longest losing streak since 1999. The team followed up that victory with a 100-88 loss to Wesleyan the next day. The squad took its first, and what would be its only lead of the game with an opening layup by sophomore Scott Armstrong. Beyond that point Wesleyan built its lead over the course of the game, and Tufts was unable to find a voice with which to answer. Through the Jumbos split their first NESCAC games, the team was able to learn one basic lesson to carry throughout its NESCAC season. "We know we can beat anyone at this point in this season," Mack said. "But, at the same time we know we can lose to anyone also." In the two NESCAC games, Armstrong, who averaged 19.5 points on 56 percent shooting and 7 rebounds, led the Jumbos. Senior co-captain Deyvehn East also contributed with 18 points, six rebounds and three assists in each of Tufts two conference tilts. Tufts also participated in the CUA Pepsi Classic hosted by Catholic University in Washington D.C. In both games of the weekend, the team managed to blow first half leads. Greensborough College claimed its 80-58 win from the Jumbos as they were still nursing their wounds from the 71-51 loss to Kean College the day before. "The teams we played there were both pretty good and it showed that we were definitely capable of competing with anyone," Mack said. "But, at the same that if we want to win we need to do some things differently." The break also included a close, 74-77 loss to UMASS Boston. The game saw the return of junior Reggie Stovell to the court. In his first six games, Stovell has been shooting better than 40 percent, and has contributed 37 rebounds. In order to turn things around, Mack believes the team must increase the pressure it puts on opposing teams' guards and force the game tempo. Offensively, the team wants the ball to be entered into the post whenever possible. Tufts now sits at 3-10 for the season. This includes a 1-1 NESCAC record, which puts them in fifth place in the conference.

The Setonian
Basketball

Men's basketball trounced by Dartmouth

December 7

It seems like the Tufts basketball program came down with a case of Bowl Championship Series fever this year, as it took its schedule strength up a couple of points by traveling to Dartmouth last Thursday to battle the Division-I Big Green. With its Ivy League background, it would have been demoralizing for Dartmouth to lose to Division-III Tufts, but the Big Green saved itself from embarrassment by trucking the Jumbos 95-60 last Thursday in New Hampshire. "It was a wakeup call," sophomore center Blaine Lay said. "They were definitely the hardest team we are going to play all year." The Jumbos weren't intimidated by their opponent, but that didn't matter with Dartmouth shooting 67.3 percent from the field. "The guys are a little bigger and a little stronger [on Dartmouth]," Lay said. "Once you get beyond the Division-I stigma and get on the floor, it's just a basketball game." The Big Green came out in the first half gunning. After suffering hard-luck losses to Division-I opponents in its first four games of the year, Dartmouth wasn't playing with Tufts. The Big Green missed just six shots in the first half, shooting 21-for-27 from the field, an unheard of 77.8 percent. Within those field goals, Dartmouth shot 9-for-13 from three-point land (69.3 percent). "I think if we played them ten times, they would only shoot like they did maybe one time out of ten, if that," Lay said. Tufts entered the locker room facing a huge 55-30 deficit, despite having shot the ball well. The team shot 45.8 percent from the field during the first half, hitting four of seven three-point attempts. In the second half Dartmouth stopped playing Tufts like the Washington Generals and started to lose some of its consciousness from the field. The Big Green's shooting percentage cooled down 54.5 percent; but the Jumbos only made ten of their 28 shot attempts. The key stat of the game was three-point shooting. Both teams attempted a good amount of shots from behind the arch, but Dartmouth was more successful, hitting an amazing 71.4 percent of its attempts. Tufts made 47.1 percent of its attempts, but lost some of its consistency in the second half. "The first five minutes [of the second half] we wanted to chip away and see what happened, but their shooting was too much. They were hot from everywhere," Lay said. Dartmouth three-point shooters never lost their rhythm. Michael Lang hit for a career-high 21 points off the bench. He shot 5-for-7 from three-point range, but also played a vital role in disrupting Tufts' offense at times by accumulating seven steals. In addition, Steve Callahan and Michael McLaren both made four of five three point shots in the game, respectively. Defending Division-III National Champion and NESCAC foe Williams College proved it is possible for a Division-III basketball team to beat a Division-I program by defeating Holy Cross 78-71 on the same evening. Unfortunately, Tufts made too many mistakes to duplicate those results. Both the Jumbos and the Big Green turned over the ball a good amount as Tufts finished with 22 compared to Dartmouth's 15. The Big Green also set up its players better, accumulating 25 assists to Tufts' 13. "[Dartmouth] ran its offense very efficiently," junior guard Jesse Belodoff said. "And we had trouble getting out on shooters in the first half especially. In the second half we got up and pressured more, which made [the game] a lot more competitive." While Tufts was solidly defeated, some positives came out of the game. Senior co-captain Deyvehn East showed his range on the court, hitting four of six three point attempts, torching Dartmouth for 21 points. Junior Scott Armstrong continued to put in quality work as the team's sixth man, scoring nine points in 25 minutes of action. "We had some good individual efforts, but as a team we could have played better," Lay said. Also positive was the total team rebounds. Given the two teams' height differences, with sophomore forward Dan Martin listed as Tufts tallest player at 6'9'' compared to Dartmouth with two players listed at 6'9'' and two players that are listed as 6'10'' and 6'11'', respectively, it seemed like the Big Green would prove to be tall trees and control the boards. However, this was not the case. Since Dartmouth was shooting so well, there weren't many rebounds, but the Jumbos equaled Dartmouth's 26 total rebounds, and in addition, grabbed 13 offensive rebounds. Sophomore Brian Fitzgerald led the way for the Jumbos with six boards. "Twenty-six rebounds is kind of low," Lay said. "They were shooting lights out, so there really weren't that many." Also, the Jumbos continue to improve from the free-throw line. They shot 71.4 percent at Dartmouth and 81.3 percent last Tuesday against MIT, both a far cry from the almost 51 percent they were shooting as a team through the first four games of the season. Tufts now stands at 2-4 on the season and Dartmouth now stands at 1-4, still without a win against a Division-I opponent. The basketball team was supposed to hit the court on Saturday against Clark, but due to the snow, the game was postponed until Feb. 19, two days before the tentative start of the NESCAC playoffs. The Jumbos travel to Plymouth State tomorrow to play their final game before their shortened winter recess. The game is scheduled for a 7 pm tip-off.

The Setonian
Basketball

Men's basketball without superstar

November 17

This season, the men's basketball team hopes to perform exactly how it is described: as a team. "We want to play like a team," senior co-captain Eric Mack said. "We want to spread out the shot, keep turnovers down, and play defense." If the season started today, the starting line-up would feature Mack at point guard, junior Andrew Kaklamanos at shooting guard, senior co-captain Deyvehn East at small forward, sophomore Dan Martin at power forward, and sophomore Blaine Lay at center. Sophomore Scott Armstrong should be the first Jumbo off the bench, playing either a tall shooting guard or small forward. The coaching staff has tentatively penciled in freshman Dave Shepherd at back-up point guard/shooting guard, though he may be out for the entire season pending MRI results on his knee which he injured before the season. Freshmen Brian Kumf and Jason Grauer should also see time down low with junior Jesse Belodoff possibly getting some time at guard. The Jumbos have opted to spread out the offense due to two main factors. The first factor is the combined loss of Mike McGlynn, Brian Shapiro, Jim Wilson, Craig Coupe and junior Reggie Stovell. McGlynn, Shapiro, and Wilson were the team's first, third, and fourth top scorers from last season and all three are lost due to graduation. Coupe (13.7 ppg, 11.4 rpg) was Tufts leading rebounder and second leading scorer last season, but transferred to Trinity for his junior year in order to pursue a business degree. Stovell is still on the team, but last year's fifth leading scorer is probably going to be sidelined until second semester due to a stress fracture. "There is going to be more of a team scoring," Sheldon said. "[The offense] will be more spread out." If the Jumbos possess any go-to guy, senior co-captain Eric Mack and coach Bob Sheldon both believe it will be East. However, both still feel that in order for the Jumbos to be successful, the ball will have to be spread around and multiple players will have to score. "[The offense] is going to come from everywhere," Mack said. "You are going to see a lot of players with eight to 12 points." The second factor is that East and sophomore center Blaine Lay are the only two active players who played more than ten minutes a game last year. Sheldon would like to see at least five to six passes on each possession, working the shot clock, and looking for the best shot, not always the first shot. Last Saturday, the Jumbos competed in their annual alumni game, and Mack felt the team looked good. Sheldon said during the contest he noticed his team ran down the shot clock well and appeared more patient on offense. "We're not going to be as explosive offensively," Mack said. "We're not going to take as many three's." Last year, the Jumbos boasted All-NESCAC center Coupe in the post. And while Martin and Lay are capable of combining forces to make Coupe seem like an afterthought, the two must become more aggressive offensively. "They rebound well, set screens, and make open shots," Mack said. "The big guys are going to have to play more minutes." Overall, the team's success relies on its ability to not turnover the ball. Last year, the Jumbos committed 19 turnovers a game, but this season Mack would like to see that number reduced to ten. If the Jumbos take care of the ball and take good shots, they could be successful. "Look for a team that plays hard on defense," Sheldon said. "That takes the best shot, not necessarily the first shot."

The Setonian
Basketball

Men's basketball ends season 12-13

March 6

With Saturday's 64-63 heartbreaking semifinal loss to the Williams College Ephs, the eventual winner of the NESCAC championship, the men's basketball team's season came to a close. The Jumbos, in a season marked by many highs and lows, finished with a 12-13 overall record, and a 6-5 conference mark. "I'm definitely happy with the way the season went," senior co-captain Jim Wilson said. "We didn't get the record we wanted or the number of wins, but we had an extremely tough schedule, and we had lots of close games going down to the wire. We have a good base for next year, the program is in very good shape." Despite starting the season 2-5, the Jumbos battled to the bitter end with nationally ranked teams such as Babson (79-76 L) and Wabash (87-81 2ot L), losing both games in the final minutes. The team then went on a road swing for two and a half weeks, playing seven straight away games. The team went 4-3 on the road trip, losing its final game to Brandeis (72-70 L) in a heartbreaker that came down to the final seconds. "The loss against Brandeis was definitely one of the downpoints of the season," sophomore center Craig Coupe said. "We fought hard for the whole game, and we felt we should have come away with the win." The Jumbos, seemingly unfettered by the loss to Brandeis, came back three days later to face the Amherst Lord Jeffs, then the-first ranked team in New England and third ranked team in the country. It was Tufts' first home game in almost three weeks, and the Jumbos fed off their capacity crowd en route to an 83-66 thrashing of the Lord Jeffs. "They came in undefeated, first in the NESCAC and in New England and third in the country," Wilson said. "To beat them at home was huge, it was definitely one of the high points of the season." The Jumbos went into the last two weeks of the season in fifth place in the league, fighting for a shot to host a first round playoff game in the NESCAC tournament. On the second to last weekend of the regular season, Tufts defeated Bowdoin and Colby in its final two home games of the regular season. Those two wins put the Jumbos in third place in the conference going into the final weekend before the playoffs. The Jumbos dropped their final two games on the road to Williams and Middlebury, but in a weird twist of fate, held on to the third place spot and hosted Middlebury in the first round of the playoffs. In that playoff game, the Jumbos took sweet revenge on the Panthers, avenging the prior week's loss with a convincing 89-81 victory in their first NESCAC playoff victory ever. "The Middlebury game was another high point of our season," Wilson said. "Tufts basketball had never won a NESCAC playoff game before, and it was extra special for me to do it at home in front of our fans." The team traveled to Amherst College to try and avenge that weekend's other loss to the Williams College Ephs (76-56 L), ranked third in the nation, first in New England, and second in the NESCAC with a 24-1 overall record. The Jumbos stayed with the Ephs for the entire game, and had their shot to win in the waning seconds. Senior guard Mike McGlynn, arguably the best shooter in the conference, blew by his defender at the top of the key with just six seconds to play and the Jumbos trailing by one. Three Ephs defenders converged on McGlynn, who sent up a shot that rimmed out, ending the Jumbos season. "We had the ball in McGlynn's hands down by one and he had a good look at the hoop. It was pretty much all we could ask for," Wilson said. "We were extremely happy with the way we played." In addition to the team's success, individual Jumbos accomplished impressive feats of their own. Senior co-captain Brian Shapiro became the second active Jumbo to score 1000 points in his career, eclipsing the 1000 point mark against Wheaton College on January 21. McGlynn scored the 1500th point of his career in the Jumbos 83-66 win over Amherst just ten days later. Just two weeks later against Middlebury, McGlynn notched his 303rd three pointer of his career, putting him on the top 20 all time list for division three. McGlynn finished his career with 308 total three pointers. Just two days ago, McGlynn, who led the Jumbos with 17 PPG, was named to the All-NESCAC first team, while Coupe was named to the All-NESCAC second team. Coupe was second on the team in scoring with 13.7 PPG and first on the team and eighth in the country with 11.4 RPG. The Jumbos are confident that they will have the same success next year despite losing five seniors (McGlynn, Shapiro, Wilson, Colin Wetherill, and Bisi Ezeolu) to graduation. "We have a lot of returning guys for next year," Wilson said. "We'll have one of the best front courts in New England with Coupe, [sophomore] Reggie Stovell, Blaine [Lay], Dan Martin, and Scott Armstrong. [Junior] Deyvehn East will step up to the two spot, and Eric Mack, who is probably the best pure point guard on the team, will run the show. We're set up really well, and I'm confident that the team will succeed." "It's hard for me to conceive that I played my last organized basketball game because I have been playing since I was in third grade," Wilson said. "But I came to college, played with a great group of guys and have had some great memories. It's going to be sad to go, but I've had some great memories with this team, which makes it a lot easier."

The Setonian
Basketball

Men's basketball prepares for semi-final bout with Willams

February 27

Coming off last Saturday's dominant performance against Middlebury, the men's basketball team will travel to Amherst to face the Williams College Ephs in the semi-finals of the NESCAC tournament this Saturday at 4 p.m. Amherst College's gymnasium is the neutral site, as the number one seeded Lord Jeffs are the host of the conference's final three games. The conference's other semi-final features the host Jeffs and the fourth seeded Wesleyan Cardinals. The two winners then face off on Sunday at noon for the NESCAC championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Div. III national tournament. The Jumbos are preparing to face an extremely talented Williams team. The Ephs are currently ranked first in New England, and third overall in the nation. They are ranked tenth in the nation in scoring, have the 11th fewest points allowed, are first in margin of victory, ninth in three point field goal percentage, and first in rebound margin. In addition, Williams' point guard, junior tri-captain Michael Crotty, is second in the nation in assists with 7.4 per game. Both teams have a very similar style of play -- they like to work the ball from the inside out. The Jumbos are led by sophomore center Craig Coupe, who is averaging 13.8 points per game and is eighth in the nation with 11.5 rebounds per game, senior shooting guards Mike McGlynn and co-captain Brian Shapiro, who average 17.1 and 11.3 points per game respectively. Senior point guard, co-captain Jim Wilson averages ten points, 3.7 rebounds and three assists per game. Meanwhile the Ephs will rely on 6'5 senior co-captain Drew DeMuth, who averages 12 points and nine rebounds per game, along with junior guards Ben Coffin and Chuck Abba, who average 11.8 and 11.4 points per game respectively. Crotty leads the team with 12.5 points per game and 7.4 assists per game. Two weeks ago, the Jumbos traveled to Williamstown in their final regular season contest and were blown out by the Ephs, 76-56. According to coach Bob Sheldon, however, the game was actually a lot closer than the score indicates. "We were only down by seven at halftime," Sheldon said. "In fact, we were down by only seven with about ten or 11 minutes to go. But that's when they broke the game open." Coupe and Wilson led the Jumbos at that game. Coupe finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and a season high five blocks, and Wilson added 13 points and three rebounds. Williams' stingy defense held Tufts leading scorer Mike McGlynn to just one point on 0-12 shooting from the field in 27 minutes. In addition, the Ephs' defense limited the Tufts' usually dominant reserves to just 13 points in a combined 67 minutes of action. However, the circumstances surrounding this weekend's game are extremely different. First of all, the game will be played at Amherst's neutral LeFrak Gymnasium. "The fact that we are playing at Amherst is definitely going to help us because anytime you play at home, you have the advantage because you practice their everyday, and you're used to the gym and the baskets," Sheldon said. "To play Williams at Amherst is also nice because I'm banking on the Amherst kids to cheer for us because of their rivalry with Williams. Also, Williams is 24-1 overall and 17-1 in the conference. Their one loss? At Amherst." The Jumbos also have much more confidence as a team going into this weekend's game. This time around they are coming off a solid performance against the Panthers, whereas Tufts had lost to the same Middlebury team the night before the last Williams game. The Jumbos have also reviewed tape from the Williams game, so they understand the Ephs style of play, and what they need to do to get the win. "After the first game, we realized that they are in fact human and we don't have to play the perfect game to beat them," Sheldon said. "We basically need to minimize our mistakes against them. We can't turn the ball over, we can't give them second chance points, and we can't give them easy transition hoops. The biggest thing for us, however, is for them to believe that we can win, and that we're not intimidated by them."

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