Tufts wasn't supposed to go to overtime in a home game with the Babson Beavers Tuesday night, especially after climbing to what should have been an insurmountable 16-point second half lead. The Jumbos weren't supposed to be down two points with 20 seconds left in overtime. But none of that seemed to matter when sophomore shooting guard Brian Shapiro hit a three pointer from about five feet beyond the arc with only three seconds remaining to seal an 85-84 win over the Beavers. The victory lifts Tufts to 3-1 on the year.
With 20 seconds remaining in the game, Babson went to the line, up one following a layup from senior captain center Dan Flaherty. Sophomore guard Joe Colelli made one of two free throws to give his team a two-point margin. Tufts grabbed the rebound on the missed free throw and got the ball to freshman point guard Phil Barlow. With time winding down, Barlow ran a pre-designed but frantic play to get the ball to Shapiro with five seconds left. Not completely open, but with nowhere to go, Shapiro elevated above the two oncoming defenders, who had fought off a Fred Pedroletti screen, and hit the game-winning jumper.
Tufts was forced to play the extra session following some dramatic moments at the end of regulation. Down 75-71, Colelli took a quick three-pointer and while the ball was in mid-air, got fouled by senior forward Tom Bernier. Colelli's shot swished, and it seemed as though the Beavers had fought all the way back, but the Babson guard missed his free throw and Tufts held onto its slim, one-point lead. Senior point guard Bobby Mpuku added a free-throw that set up a game-tying shot from Babson's Jeff Hines, a freshman guard, who hit a runner down the lane with six seconds left. Tufts' desperation attempt failed, and the teams headed to overtime.
While Babson celebrated Hines' heroics, the Jumbos were screaming that the play should have been whistled a player control foul, as Flaherty was taken out by the soaring Hines.
"Dan Flaherty comes out and takes a charge, and the referee didn't have the guts to call it," coach Bob Sheldon said. "It should have never been a basket."
In fact, Tufts should have never been in that situation, as it held a 16-point lead halfway through the second stanza after Barlow converted back-to-back three pointers. Barlow was, for much of the game, a bright spot for the Jumbos, as the freshman had 16 points on 4-6 shooting from downtown.
"Barlow was a nice spark off the bench," Sheldon said. "He just had to get his feet wet. It's just a matter of him getting comfortable. He's faster and quicker than anybody we have, and pretty much more than anybody we play, and he knows the game. He reminds me of a young Bob Sheldon."
As exciting as Barlow's play was during Tufts' 21-5 run at the beginning of the second half, it wasn't flawless, as he and his teammates' erratic play during the final ten minutes of the game allowed the Beavers enough breathing room to tie the game.
"They're a scrappy, scrappy little team," Sheldon said. "They play hard."
Babson hounded Tufts into making numerous forced shots and turnovers, and seemed the more determined team down the stretch.
"With about seven minutes left, all of a sudden somebody put a lid on our basket and theirs got a little bigger, it seemed," Sheldon said. "We made some bad decisions. Some of the shots we took were real questionable. We had some turnovers, and they started making crazy shots. We broke down a little bit on the defensive end and allowed them to get back in the game."
Tufts may have risked the game by shooting some wild three pointers, but it lived by the three as well, a story that is best encapsulated in Shapiro's night. The sophomore was 6-10 from behind the three-point line, but a mere 1-7 from inside the arc, good for 20 on the game.
Flaherty was again a bright spot, as his team-high 25 points may have overshadowed the dirty work he did on both sides of the court. The center was continually taking charges, diving for loose balls, and changing opponents' shots, and he did it all while only committing one foul. He also tied Bernier for the team-high with seven rebounds.
Mpuku, who struggled a bit against the Beavers, fouling out at the start of overtime, provided his usual on-court leadership, dishing out a game-high five assists and dictating Tufts' often-frantic pace of play.
"Our leadership is great," Sheldon said. "The presence [of the seniors] on the court is something that is important. We win close games because of them."
Pedroletti was the only other Jumbo in double figures, finishing with 12. The Beavers were led by 24 points from freshman center Jared Clough, 20 points from Hines, and 17 from Brian McCarthy. McCarthy and Hines combined for 20 boards, while Colelli lead the way with five assists.
Sheldon and company hope to have an easier go of it today at MIT, the first of their six consecutive road games. Tufts will be away from Cousens Gym for ten of its next 11 contests.
