The men's basketball team overcame a sloppy first-half performance to take a non-conference game against the Springfield Pride (2-2) in Cousens Gym on Tuesday, 77-61. The Jumbos' newfound defensive strength and talent and depth on the offensive end overwhelmed the Pride in the second half en route to the team's third victory of the young season.
Defense had been Tufts' Achilles heel through the first four games of the year. Though the team has scored prolifically, at a clip of 82 points per game, it has surrendered an unsightly 84 points per game to the opposition. But Tuesday's rout showcased a resurgent defensive intensity, the result of focused practice.
"We devoted this whole last week of practice to defensive fundamentals and I think you started to see that pay off tonight," coach Bob Sheldon said.
The Jumbos opened the game playing a man-to-man defense, but the Pride hit their first five shots, all inside the paint. Tufts then switched to a zone, denying the entry pass and forcing Springfield's 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 and shot only 1-for-9 from beyond the arc.
"Playing zone really helped us," junior forward Jake Weitzen added. "The effort has been there all season, but this was the first game that we've played consistently disciplined defense."
Tufts led 27-19 with just over five minutes to play in the first half. The Pride made a 7-2 spurt to pull within four points at 29-26, but consecutive threes from junior guard Jeremy Black and sophomore forward Jon Pierce pushed Tufts' lead to 35-26 going into halftime.
Tufts continued its smothering defense to begin the second half. The Pride missed their first five field goal attempts en route to shooting 37 from the floor, a season-best defensive mark for the Jumbos. Springfield did not score its first basket until nearly six minutes into the second half, and by that time, Tufts had broken the game open with a 19-3 run.
In a 22-minute span split almost equally between the two halves, Tufts outscored Springfield 42-12. On two occasions the lead reached 28 points, and the Pride were behind by double digits for virtually the entire second half. Sheldon utilized the blowout to play every member of the team.
During the first frame, Tufts rode the hot hand of Pierce, who had 16 first-half points and 20 for the game. The only other player in double digits for the Jumbos was Weitzen, who scored 15 points. In all, 11 different Jumbos tallied a basket, but Pierce was once again the offensive focal point, baffling the Springfield defenders with his inside-out offensive attack.
"As a team, we do a really good job of recognizing mismatches, and Springfield didn't match up well with me tonight," Pierce said. "When they start double-teaming, we swing it around, and somebody else will get hot."
Though he currently comes off the bench, Pierce is the team's leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 19 and six with a superb 66 percent field-goal percentage. His excellent performance as of late has led Sheldon to consider moving Pierce to the starting lineup.
"Jon's being a team player, in that he's
saying 'Coach, whatever you need for me to do, I'll do it', but we are definitely considering [starting him] in the next few games," Sheldon said.
Turnovers and foul trouble proved problematic, which have plagued the team this season, in the otherwise solid win. The Jumbos coughed up 25 turnovers against limited defensive pressure Tuesday and have yet to turn the ball over fewer than 17 times in a game. While it was enough to get by the Pride, such sloppiness will be punished by NESCAC adversaries once league play begins.
"We have to start cutting down on turnovers," Weitzen said. "That's this team's next step."
The Jumbos also committed six fouls in the first six minutes of the game, and while they were able to avoid the bonus until late in the period, the second half was more of the same, with Springfield in double bonus with more than 10 minutes remaining. The Pride went 8-of-9 from the charity stripe, a mark that in a closer game could have spelled trouble for the Jumbos.
"We're growing," coach Bob Sheldon said. "I hope people weren't panicking about a 2-2 start because this is going to be a good team."
