Tufts (6-13) placed five scorers in double figures, led by senior co-captain Deyvehn East (Greenfield, MA) with 20 points. Senior Matthew Wheeler’s (Shrub Oak, NY) 25 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks led visiting Keene (16-4).
The Jumbos got off to a strong start and led by nine, 21-12, on a jumper by sophomore Dan Martin (Sandwich, MA) at 13:18 of the first half. The Owls erased the lead and gained a 33-32 edge on two free throws by junior Harley Davis (Newburyport, MA) with 6:15 to play until the half. Tufts was able to push its advantage back up to seven and then led by four at the half, 48-44. East had 11 points and four assists for the Jumbos at the break. Wheeler had 11 points and five rebounds for Keene.
Into the second half, Tufts built a 13-point margin, 71-58, on a lay-up by sophomore Blaine Lay (Rockville, MD) at 10:54. Keene then initiated a 20-4 run over the next four minutes to pull ahead, 78-75 on a three by freshman Brian Sheppard (East Bridgewater, MA) at 6:54. He had eight points during the surge that gave the Owls the lead.
Keene led for the next two minutes, but a 6-0 spurt by the Jumbos put them back in front, 83-80, on a three-pointer by Lay. The Owls closed to within one, 83-82, on a tip-in by Wheeler at 2:44, but that’s the closest they would get. The visitors played the last few minutes without co-captain Alphonse Michalski (Northampton, MA), who appeared to injure his ankle. Two free throws by Wheeler at 1:21 made it 87-84 Tufts, but the Jumbos hit their field goals and free throws down the stretch to earn the upset.
In a game riddled by 52 fouls called, Keene hurt itself at the line by making only 31 of 50 attempts (62 percent). In the meantime, Tufts shot 65.5 percent (19/29) on its field goals in the second half.
In addition to East’s 8 for 12, junior forward Reggie Stovell (Washington, DC) hit 7 of 12 shots and scored 19 points for the Jumbos. Lay was 7 for 9 with 17 points and Martin was 6 for 7 with 17 points. Tufts had 24 assists, led by six from freshman David Shepherd (Grantham, NH).
Keene also had five players finish in double-digits for points. Sophomore Sean Sullivan (Athol, MA) had 18 points, while senior Chris Timson (Beverly, MA) had 14 points with eight assists and Sheppard had 14 with four threes.