With the win, Tufts sweeps its conference weekend including a 95-70 victory over Wesleyan on Friday night. The Jumbos are 14-4 overall and 4-2 in the conference. A much-improved Camels team dropped to 11-9 and 1-5. The loss was their sixth in the last seven games.
The Camels came out upset-minded against the Jumbos and led 12-2 five minutes into the game. Tufts would get it together to lead by four, 34-30, on a free throw by Dan Martin (Sandwich, MA) at 4:24. However, Connecticut College scored the final nine points to lead 39-34 at the half. Sophomore Jeff Young (East Hartford, CT) had five points during the closing spurt.
The visitors shot a red-hot 66.7 percent (16/24) in the first half, including 4 for 4 from three-point territory. The Jumbos stayed close with five threes of their own in the first half. Freshman guard Billy Karis (Potsdam, NY) scored 10 points for the Camels and Weitzen had 11 for the Jumbos in the first half.
After the Camels scored the first basket of the second half to lead 41-34, the Jumbos used a 14-2 stretch to lead 48-43 on a three-pointer by sophomore Ryan O’Keefe (Everett, MA) at 14:42. He had five points to pace Tufts in the run. The teams would go back and forth over the next six minutes and were tied at 54-54 following two free throws by Camel Ulises Veras (Lawrence, MA) at 8:16.
Tufts then scored the next eight points to kick off a 13-3 stretch that gave them a 10-point, 67-57 advantage at 3:25 on a free throw by O’Keefe. Junior Brian Kumf (Milford, MA) led the drive with six points. Connecticut College kept within striking distance and trailed by six, 69-63, on a lay-up by sophomore Charles Stone (Hackensack, NJ) at 1:13. Not until Weitzen drained a three-pointer, his third of the game, with 40 seconds left did the victory seem secure for Tufts.
Five Jumbos finished in double figures for scoring, with O’Keefe (13), Kumf (12), sophomore Jeremy Black (Jamesville, NY) with 12 and Martin (12) joining Weitzen. Kumf had a team-high eight rebounds and Black added five assists. Tufts finished the game at an even 50 percent shooting (28/56), including 42.1 percent from three-point land (8/19).
Stone posted a double-double for the Camels with 17 and 11 while also blocking two shots. Coming off the bench Veras had 11 points and freshman Will Lyons (Wilbraham, MA) had 10 points for the Camels. Karis was held scoreless in the second half and finished with 10.
The teams combined to shoot 52.3 percent in a game that included a low total rebound count of 55.
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TUFTS JUMBOS 74, CONNECTICUT COLLEGE CAMELS 65 CONNECTICUT COLLEGE CAMELS (11-9, 1-5 NESCAC) Charles Stone 8-13 1-4 17; Ulises Veras 4-8 2-3 11; Will Lyons 4-5 0-0 10; Billy Karis 4-6 0-0 10; Jeff Young 2-4 2-2 7; Jahkeen Washington 2-3 0-0 4; Gabe Patton 2-6 0-0 4; Christian Mosley 1-2 0-0 2; Sokol Zejnullahu 0-1 0-0 0 Totals 27-48 5-9 65. TUFTS JUMBOS (14-4, 4-2 NESCAC) Jake Weitzen 8-13 2-2 21; Ryan O'Keefe 4-8 3-4 13; Brian Kumf 5-9 2-2 12; Jeremy Black 4-7 2-2 12; Dan Martin 5-11 1-2 11; Brian Fitzgerald 1-3 0-0 3; David Shepherd 1-4 0-0 2; Jason Grauer 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 28-56 10-12 74. Connecticut College Camels.... 39 26 - 65 Tufts Jumbos.................. 34 40 - 74 3-point goals-Connecticut College Camels 6-11 (Will Lyons 2-3; Billy Karis 2-4; Jeff Young 1-1; Ulises Veras 1-1; Christian Mosley 0-1; Gabe Patton 0-1), Tufts Jumbos 8-19 (Jake Weitzen 3-6; Jeremy Black 2-5; Ryan O'Keefe 2-4; Brian Fitzgerald 1-2; David Shepherd 0-2). Fouled out--Connecticut College Camels-None, Tufts Jumbos-None. Rebounds-Connecticut College Camels 24 (Charles Stone 11), Tufts Jumbos 31 (Brian Kumf 8). Assists-Connecticut College Camels 18 (Christian Mosley 3; Will Lyons 3; Jahkeen Washington 3; Gabe Patton 3), Tufts Jumbos 19 (Jeremy Black 5). Total fouls-Connecticut College Camels 14, Tufts Jumbos 16. A-400