Basketball
Men's Basketball | Game postponed to Sunday as Jumbos look to finish out regular season in style
February 7Because the Jumbos have clinched the fourth seed and home?court advantage in the first round of the NESCAC tournament, the men's basketball team's game on Sunday against Hamilton is meaningless on paper. Its importance, however, goes far beyond the win?loss column.
Men's Basketball | Jumbos squeak out 65-64 overtime win against Clark
February 5With the fourth seed in the NESCAC tournament and a home quarterfinal game already locked up, the Tufts men's basketball team faced off against non-conference rival Clark University on Monday night, a team that has beaten the Jumbos in each of the past three seasons. In a game that featured seven ties and 13 lead changes, the Jumbos were victorious against the Cougars in their first overtime contest of the season, improving their overall record to 15-8. While much of the game was a back-and-forth affair, Clark took a 3-point advantage with 1:23 left in the second half following consecutive baskets by graduate students Brian Vayda and D.J. Bailey. On the next possession, junior co-captain guard KwameFirempong, recently inserted back into the starting lineup, knocked down the game tying 3-pointer, his only made field goal of the game, as the shot clock expired to send it into overtime. In the extra five minutes, Tufts knew its defense would be vital in securing a victory. "We really focused on defense [heading into overtime,]" said senior co-captain forward Scott Anderson, who followed up his career-high 35-point game on Saturday afternoon with 15 points and four rebounds against Clark. "We knew Vayda was going to get the ball in the last few minutes so we helped on him and locked the other guys down. We also focused on getting defensive rebounds that we were not getting towards the end of regulation." Following a 3-pointer by Vayda on the first possession of the extra period, a layup by freshman center Tom Palleschi and a triple from sophomore guard Ben Ferris gave the Jumbos a 65-63 lead with just three minutes remaining. The Cougars would have one more opportunity to win on the game's final play, but junior Nicholas DaPrato's final shot rimmed out. "It's huge for us to win games like these," Anderson said. "In years past, these games have slipped so many times, it's nice to finally pull them out, although winning by double digits is more convenient." Junior guard Oliver Cohen, who contributed eight points, three rebounds and three assist in 35 minutes agreed. "We've had a handful of close wins like that throughout the season and it just helps to build your confidence going forward when you're in tight games later on in the season," he said. "To know that we can pull games like that out and win in a variety of ways is a great thing to draw upon later on when faced with similar situations." Ferris continued his stellar sophomore campaign with 17 points, seven rebounds, and three steals, while Palleschi tallied 14 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots in the victory. Coach Bob Sheldon's squad has the rest of the week off before its regular season finale at Cousens Gymnasium against the Hamilton Centennials, a game that is meaningless for the Jumbos in terms of the NESCAC standings. The game is crucial for the Centennials, however, as they are still in position to clinch the fifth seed and set up a first-round match-up against Tufts. While it may not have an effect on their tournament outlook, it will still serve as Senior Night for Anderson and graduating classmates Matt Lanchantin and Alex Goldfarb, and it could provide a final dose of confidence headed into the most important weeks of the year. "The focus from now until the tournament is to first focus on beating Hamilton on Friday night," freshman swingman Stephen Haladyna said. "Then we can go into the NESCAC tournament with a lot of confidence and knowing that we can beat any team in the league if we come out with energy."
Women's Basketball | Tufts hosts Misericordia in first-ever NCAA tournament game at Cousens Gym
March 1Tonight, for the first time ever, March Madness will hit Medford.
Men's Basketball | Anderson, Ferris earn NESCAC honors
February 29Junior tri-captain forward Scott Anderson was named to the All-NESCAC second team and freshman guard Ben Ferris earned NESCAC Rookie of the Year for the men's basketball team, which finished the season at 16-9 overall following a conference quarterfinals loss to Bates.
Women's Basketball | Kornegay defends Jumbos' five-year streak
February 29Following in the Tufts tradition, senior guard Tiffany Kornegay was named the 2011-2012 NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year, the fifth straight season a Tufts women's basketball player has been given the honor. Kornegay and senior co-captain forward Kate Barnosky also made the All-NESCAC second team, and coach Carla Berube was named NESCAC Coach of the Year.
Women's Basketball | Locked down: top-notch defense carries Jumbos to NCAA tournament
February 29Before the start of the season, the women's basketball focused on a word: stifling.
Women's Basketball | March Madness coming to Cousens
February 27This weekend, for the first time ever, there will be NCAA tournament basketball played at Tufts. The women's team received an at−large bid yesterday, marking the program's fourth NCAA berth in the past five years. The Jumbos have already had a sparkling season, reaching the NESCAC tournament finals and compiling a record of 21−6 overall and 8−2 in the conference.
Women's Basketball | Jumbos look to spoil Camels' tourney debut
February 16The women's basketball team will host Conn. College tomorrow afternoon in the first round of the NESCAC tournament. The Jumbos finished the regular season with records of 19−5 overall and 8−2 in conference, earning the second seed in the tournament and the home−court advantage through at least the semifinals.
Men's Basketball | After unsettling losses, Jumbos move on to NESCACs
February 14Following consecutive losses to Hamilton and Clark teams Tufts was expected to handle easily, the men's basketball team will have little margin for error if it wants to stay in the hunt for an NCAA tournament at−large bid. The Jumbos, seeded fourth in the NESCAC tournament, face the fifth−seeded Bates Bobcats this Saturday in a must−win matchup in the conference quarterfinals.
Men's Basketball | Amherst, Middlebury lead pack of tournament hopefuls
February 14The men's basketball team will kick off its NESCAC Tournament bid on Saturday when, for the first time since 2006, Tufts will have the honor of hosting the quarterfinals as the No. 4 seed. No. 1 Amherst, No. 2 Middlebury and No. 3 Wesleyan will also welcome opponents to their home courts as the favorites to advance to next weekend. The fourth through eighth seeds have almost identical split conference records, meaning some close games are likely to ensue — including in Cousens Gym when the Jumbos welcome the No. 5 Bates Bobcats.
Men's Basketball | Linsanity spreads to Hamilton as Jumbos are upset by Continentals
February 12The men's basketball team went to Hamilton Friday night knowing that a win would mean a chance to hold the No. 3 seed in the NESCAC, a remarkable achievement for a team that finished last in the conference just two seasons ago. But the Jumbos came up short against a Hamilton team that needed the win even more urgently than they did.
Women's Basketball | Jumbos look to lock up No. 2 seed at Hamilton tonight
February 9Coming off a 48-31 loss against No. 1 Amherst last Saturday, the women's basketball team would like nothing more than to get back on the court and reaffirm its elite status in the NESCAC.
Men's Basketball | Tufts takes on Hamilton for first time in 12 years
February 9Next weekend, the men's basketball team will be doing something it has not done in a long time. Six years to be exact. On Feb. 18, the Jumbos will host the NESCAC quarterfinals in Cousens Gymnasium for the first time since 2006.
Men's Basketball | Jumbos ride Ferris wheel to victory over Corsairs
February 1Freshman guard Ben Ferris was almost the goat on Tuesday. With 0.2 seconds left in regulation and Tufts leading 74−73, he was called for a loose−ball foul. But UMass Dartmouth made just one of two at the line, giving Ferris another chance and sending the game to overtime.
A tribute to Professor Sam Sommers
Op-ed: Enough is enough for antisemitism at Tufts
