Jumbos knock off 24th ranked Keene State

With a 5-13 overall record and losses in eight of their past 11 games, the Jumbos' date with the 24th ranked Keene State Owls last night at Cousens Gymnasium looked daunting.

Apparently however, nobody let the Tufts men's basketball team know they weren't favored to win.

Tufts' agility, coordination and gritty play outlasted the Owls and sent the Jumbos home with a stunning 96-94 upset victory, exploding with an impressive offensive performance and physical defense against the second ranked team in New England.

The Jumbos opened the first half with fast breaks, stingy defense, and clutch shots, launching them to an early 21-12 lead with 13:18 left in the first half. As the Keene State men found their bearings, the Jumbos then switched gears and prepared for the long haul against the now 16-4 Owls, riding out foul troubles and playing tough inside while protecting their lead, heading into the locker room at halftime with a 48-44 lead.

The first half of play would see 26 of the game's 52 personal fouls, and both teams finished both periods in double bonus. The calls took a toll on Keene State, however, who missed 19 of their 50 free throws attempts over the course of the night.

Dissatisfied with the referees, Keene State head coach Rob Colbert also drew a technical foul in the first period for using profanity in disagreeing with a call.

"[The referees] were calling a tight game tonight," coach Bob Sheldon said. "Still, we played a great game. This really picks this young team up, showing them that we can handle a team that's ranked nationally."

Keene State's ranking didn't faze the Jumbo players.

"We had confidence tonight, and we came right at it," said junior Reggie Stovell, who finished the night with 19 points on 7-12 from the floor. "We just played. We know we're capable of beating anyone, even the best team in the nation."

Five Jumbos finished the night in double figures, with senior co-captain Deyvehn East leading the way with 20 points, including three three-pointers. Stovell had 19, sophomores Dan Martin and Blaine Lay had 17 each, and freshman Brian Kumf notched 13. East also brought down six rebounds.

East's fellow co-captain Eric Mack also nailed a pair of threes, and had five assists and two steals while running the show at point-guard.

"It's all here," Sheldon said. "This shows our team where exactly we are capable of going."

Foul troubles seemed to be the only thing that could have held the Jumbo attack back last night, with Tufts amassing 15 personal fouls in the first half alone. The Owls weren't able to capitalize, however, making only 62 percent of their free throws.

East, Kumf, and Keene State's Harley Davis all fouled out in the match-up. East was the first to leave, having to sit out the final 5:25.

The Jumbos shot 62.7 percent from the field, 0.7 percentage points higher than Keene State's foul shooting percentage. Sophomore Dan Martin gave the biggest boost to the Jumbo average, converting 6-7 from the floor and 5-5 from the free-throw line.

"I didn't let anything get to my head today, I just concentrated on my shots," Martin said. "We have the components to be a great team."

The Jumbos look to feed off this win when they travel to Bowdoin and Colby this weekend, looking to improve their status in the NESCAC playoff picture.