The men's basketball team overcame a sloppy first-half performance to hand Springfield (2-2) its second loss of the season, 77-61, and move above .500 at 3-2. In a game marred by turnovers and questionable officiating, the Jumos' depth and talent overwhelmed the Pride in the second half. Sophomore Jon Pierce led all scorers with 20 points, 16 in the first half while freshman Pat Crean was led Springfield with 16.
The Jumbos opened the game playing a man-to-man defense but switched to a zone after the Pride scored their first 10 points in the paint, daring the guards to shoot from the outside. The strategy paid off, as Springfield managed just 16 points in the last 15 minutes of the first half. Consecutive threes from junior guard Jeremy Black and Pierce pushed Tufts' halftime lead to 35-26.
The Jumbos' defensive intensity was apparent in the second half, as Tufts pressured the Pride into missing their first five field goals and held them to 37 percent shooting for the game. Tufts opened the floodgates with a 19-3 run after the start of the second period, at one point pushing the lead to 28 points. Coach Bob Sheldon took advantage of the romp to play all 16 members of the team.
Also in late action last night, the ice hockey team won its second straight game to move to .500 on the season. Freshman Doug Wilson scored his second collegiate goal, knocking in the game-winner with under 30 seconds to play as the Jumbos dispatched non-conference Salve Regina, 5-4 at home.
The Jumbos scored three goals in the first period and one in the second before Salve exploded for four unanswered tallies to tie the game. The clock ticked down, setting the stage for Wilson's game-winner.
