MIT Men's Basketball

TUFTS OPENS HOME SLATE WITH 72-56 WIN OVER ENGINEERS
Tech Succumbs Under the Jumbos’ Depth

MEDFORD, Mass. -- Senior co-captain Deyvehn East scored a game-high 17 points to lead the Tufts men’s basketball team to a 72-56 victory over local rival MIT in the Jumbos home-opener at Cousens Gym on Tuesday night. The victory was the sixth straight for Tufts over MIT. Both squads moved to 2-3 overall after the game, as Tufts overwhelmed the Engineers with a wealth of depth. While all of Tech’s starters logged over 30 minutes, the Jumbos benefited from playing eight players each over twenty minutes.

With the score tied 29-29 at the half, Tufts took charge in the first 10 minutes of the second half, never trailing after sophomore Dan Martin scored the first points of the frame on a lay-up that gave the Jumbos a 31-29 edge. A 15-3 run put Tufts ahead 48-34 with 9:36 left in regulation. East had nine points during this decisive stretch on two three-pointers and a three-point play.

The margin grew eventually swelled to 19 at 55-36 on a lay-up by freshman David Shepherd with 7:33 remaining. MIT chipped away at the lead coming as close as 63-53 after freshman Ryan Richardson nailed a three-pointer with 2:10 on the clock.

Tufts entered the game shooting just 50 percent from the free throw line. With only a 10-point deficit, MIT was intent upon making the Jumbos earn the win at the line. They did, hitting their final eight free throws and finishing the game 13 for 16 (81.3 percent). Freebies by junior Jesse Belodoff at 1:46 and by sophomore Blaine Lay at 1:28 - with an MIT turnover in between - effectively sealed the victory for Tufts.

Lay posted a double-double for the Jumbos with his 10 points and 11 rebounds along with four assists. Shepherd was the third Tufts player to score in double digits with 12 points on six of nine shooting. Tufts hit 50 percent of its shots (27/54) as a team and earned a big 37-26 edge in rebounds.

MIT had four players reach double figures, led by Kyle Doherty who posted 14 points and 10 rebounds. Richardson added a career-high 11 points and seven assists combined with only two turnovers in 38 minutes. Mike D’Auria and Andrew Tsai rounded out Tech’ scoring leaders with 13 and 10 points, respectively.