Jumbos look to avenge Dec. 3 loss in Sweet-Sixteen

Having earned their second consecutive Sweet Sixteen berth, the No. 14-ranked Tufts Jumbos (22-6) continue their NCAA Div. III men’s basketball tournament campaign against the No. 3-ranked Babson Beavers (27-2) Friday. The contest will serve as a rematch of the final game of the Big Four Classic in Waltham, Mass., when Babson overcame Tufts, 91-78. According to coach Bob Sheldon, the game will provide the Jumbos with a second chance at success.

“I think we’re a little different team,” he said. “[Junior guard] Vinny [Pace] is a different player. He’d only been actually cleared to play for three weeks when we played that game. [He] literally hadn’t played in a year, so he’s a lot better. [Additionally, senior tri-captain center] Tommy [Palleschi]’s back was bothering him. He’s getting back to [being] healthy, so we’re excited to go in there with a full arsenal … A lot of times in life, you don’t get that chance to right a wrong or avenge yourself, so we’re getting it right.”

Senior tri-captain Tarik Smith echoed his coach's sentiments, and said that though the previous game against Babson didn't go in Tufts' favor, the Jumbos have had more time to scout than they did prior to their tournament game Dec. 3.

"Having Vinny back [at full strength] definitely helps," Smith said. "He's one of our top scorers, and so having him back is really good."

Babson has a strong recent history of NCAA tournament achievements, having reached the Final Four in 2015 and the Sweet Sixteen in 2016. Babson qualified this year despite suffering an upset in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) tournament final against the MIT Engineers (21-7), 67-62. The Beavers subsequently won their first two NCAA contests against the Husson Eagles (21-7) and the Skidmore Thoroughbreds (20-8) by 16 and seven points, respectively.

Multiple quantitative indicators attest to Babson’s offensive and defensive strengths as a team. The Beavers’ combined abilities on both sides of the court equate to an average scoring margin of 15.2 points per game, good for fifth-best in the nation. Additionally, apart from the NEWMAC tournament final letdown against MIT, Babson’s only other loss this season came in a double-overtime battle away at Amherst (17-8) in early December where the final score was 99-97. The team’s shooting percentages on the season -- 48.3 percent from the field, 40.5 percent from deep and 75.7 percent from the stripe -- demonstrate that the Beavers can score from all areas of the court.

“We’re going to run them off the [three-point] line,” Sheldon said. “I think [the NESCAC] gets us ready for this because in our league, there’s a lot of teams that have good three-point shooters, so it’s not anything we haven’t seen. So we’re going to run them off the line, switch and help out inside.”

By both statistical measure and general acclaim, Babson’s best player is senior guard Joey Flannery. The four-time NEWMAC Player of the Year and reigning National Association of Basketball Coaches Div. III Player of the Year, Flannery has averaged 22.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game this season (all of which are team-highs). Additionally, the 6-foot-5 Acton, Mass. native has 2,506 career points, ranking him eighth on the all-time Div. III scoring list. 

Flannery demonstrated his skills the last time Tufts and Babson played during the Big Four Classic. The senior guard registered 42 points and nine rebounds, enabling the Beavers to cruise to their 91-78 victory.

Sheldon sketched out the broad outlines of the various tactics he might deploy against Flannery.

“We’re probably going to do some different things during the game, double teaming being one, zone being another. [We’ll do] things to kind of take him out of his rhythm,” he said. “We’re not going to just let him just play the game the whole way and get 42 against us again.”

Two other notable Beavers are senior forward Isaiah Nelsen and junior forward Nick Comenale, both of whom were selected (along with Flannery) to this year’s all-NEWMAC First Team. Nelsen is Babson’s second-best rebounder (6.1 boards-per-game) and third-highest scorer (12.8 points-per-game), while Comenale is the team’s second-highest scorer (15.9 points-per-game) and third-highest rebounder (5.6 boards-per-game). Nelsen’s 24 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks against Husson helped clip the Eagles’ wings, while Comenale’s team-high 12 second-half points against Skidmore effectively bridled the Thoroughbreds.

Another important factor in the game will be Babson’s home court advantage, as the Beavers were selected to host sectionals. Over the past three seasons, Babson is 47-5 at home against all teams and 23-2 against non-conference opponents.

The Jumbos and the Beavers tipoff on Friday at 8 p.m. at Staake Gymnasium in Babson Park, Mass. The following evening, the victor will face the winner of the other sectional match-up between the Christopher Newport Captains (27-2) and the Keene State Owls (21-9).