News Release

MEDFORD, Ma. — Junior Reggie Stovell (Washington, DC) scored 19 points, including 13 in the second half, and sophomore Dan Martin (Sandwich, MA) also went for 19 as the host Tufts University Jumbos earned a solid 89-77 victory over the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Corsairs on Thursday night at Cousens Gym.

For Tufts (4-10), which won for just the second time in nine games, it ranked as one of the best wins of the season thus far. Five Jumbos scored in double-figures, they shot 54.4 percent overall (31/57), they were clutch at the free throw line and they handily won the battle of the boards (41-26). Game-high scorer Chris Lapriore (Grafton, MA) led UMass Dartmouth (8-8) with 21 points.

Tufts led 44-41 at the half, but the Corsairs tied the score at 51-51 on a free throw by Lapriore with 14 minutes to play in the second half. On Tufts’ next possession, Martin fought for two offensive rebounds and tipped in a basket that would give the Jumbos the lead for good at 53-51. The margin did not exceed six over the next eight minutes, and when Lapriore canned a jumper at 5:07 it was 72-70 Tufts.

The knock against the Jumbos so far this season is that they have been unable to finish strong. They reversed that trend on Thursday. Up by two, they used a 9-2 run to push the margin to nine, 81-72, on a lay-up by freshman Brian Kumf (Milford, MA) at 1:57. Martin hit two free throws at 1:33 and then blocked a shot at the other end. Another lay-up by Kump put the Jumbos up by 11, 85-74, at 1:16. A three-pointer by UMD sophomore guard Devon Maiorano (Rehoboth, MA) took it down to eight, 85-77, with 1:07 left on the clock, but the Jumbos were able to close out the win the final minute.

Tufts shot 64 percent (16/25) from the field in the second half to finish 31 for 57. Shooting barely 60 percent from the line entering the game, they hit 26 of 34 attempts tonight (76.5 percent), including Martin’s five for five. Sophomore center Blaine Lay (Rockville, MD) led Tufts with 10 rebounds to go with 10 points. Freshman guard David Shepherd (Grantham, NH) had nine assists.

Junior Joseph Britto (Fairhaven, MA) had 15 points for the Corsairs, who finished at 42.4 percent (25/59) from the field. Lapriore led the visitors with 10 rebounds and three steals.
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