KEENE, N.H. – Tufts University placed six scorers in double-figures and limited the Keene State College men's basketball team to a 4-for-18 showing from inside the arc in the final 20 minutes as the nationally No. 22-ranked Jumbos posted an 82-79 win over the Keene State College men's basketball team on a post-Thanksgiving Sunday afternoon at Spaulding Gymnasium.

Postgame Interview (Coach Enright)

The Owls (2-4) led for over 33 minutes in the game – including by 10 early in the second half and by six with less than three minutes to go – but could not find enough offense or rebounding down the stretch as they lost their third game of the season by five points or less and third to a nationally-ranked team.  Tufts (5-2), who has also been in their fair share of tight affairs, held KSC to just 34 percent shooting after halftime and added backbreaking offensive rebounds late and beat the Owls by seven on the glass overall, won their third straight in the series – by a combined nine points.

Two years after faltering late at home, unable to hold a seven-point lead with seven minutes to go before falling 65-63 on a Joshua Bernstein game-winning layup just ahead of the buzzer – a win partially fueled by allowing an offensive rebound after a missed free throw – it was a similar occurrence this afternoon.  Down 78-76 after Jordan Cooper went 1-of-2 at the foul line, KSC got two misses from Jon Medley three seconds later after intentionally fouling – but allowed him to grab the offensive rebound and he sank the ensuing pair to make it a four-point game with nine seconds to go.  Mitch Shettles hit a three with four seconds to go to make it 80-79, but Sidney Wooten made two from the stripe and KSC's last-second heave unable to advance the ball was off the mark.

For most of the afternoon, it was Keene State's game to lose as they controlled the action.  Six minutes in, the Owls led 13-6, and every time Tufts would begin making a push, KSC would find an offensive response.  Ahead by three, Josh Williams hit a pair of jumpers to make it 28-21 with 5:06 left in the half and Ryan Blakey converted a pair of buckets late in the half to make it 36-29.  Denis Wainaina, who finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and three blocks, made two from the line in the final minute to help give KSC a 38-31 lead at halftime.  The Owls were 8-of-18 (44 percent) from inside the arc and outrebounded Tufts 15-12, also forcing six turnovers.

Cooper scored five points in 53 seconds within the first two minutes to push the Owls' lead to 43-34 and KSC controlled most of the second half, going up 47-37 after a putback flush by Wainaina.  It was still 49-40 with 15:03 left before Ricardo Nieves, who scored 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting including 2-of-2 from three, scored five points in 32 seconds to make it a four-point game.  Allyn Wright flew in for a remarkable tip-in at the 12:24 mark to make it 53-47, and triples on consecutive possessions from Liam Johnston and Williams ballooned the lead to 59-52 with 10:33 left.  But the visitors went on a 10-0 run over the next two minutes to suddenly go ahead by three, capped by a third-chance basket and leak-out flush by Joshua Bernstein.  Tufts led by four (65-61) with 7:56 left after Zion Watt's triple, but the Owls seemed to have a big answer, going on a 14-4 burst over the next five minutes to go ahead 75-69 on a Cooper steal and Wainaina layup.

Things fell apart from there, as Cooper was called for one of KSC's 29 fouls over the final 28 minutes (there were none whistled in the opening 12) on the ensuing possession well beyond the three-point line, and Wooten made two from the line.  A missed three on the next possession led to a transition basket by Nieves that made it 75-73.  KSC came up empty on five consecutive possessions, and the Jumbos retook the lead with less than a minute to go after Cooper missed and Nieves again beat the pack back for a dunk that made it 76-75.  The Owls committed a critical turnover on the next possession to allow Tufts to go up three following a foul on another transition break, and then went 1-of-2 at the line with 14 seconds left when they could have trimmed the deficit to one.  Down two, the Owls got two huge misses from Medley at the line with 11 seconds left, but he got his own offensive rebound and was fouled again, this time making both to make it an 80-76 game.  Shettles' make in the final seconds gave the Owls a shot, as did their 7-for-14 mark from three in the final 20 minutes, but in Tufts' game-ending 13-4 run, were 1-for-5 from the field, 1-for-4 from three, and had a turnover.  KSC was 1-of-2 at the foul line and the Jumbos 9-of-12.  Tufts finished 27-for-37 at the foul line and KSC 21-for-25.

Shettles finished with 16 points (5-13 FG, 4-10 3-PT, 2-2 FT) and five rebounds while Wainaina and Cooper (4-9 FG, 2-3 3-PT, 4-6 FT) each added 14.  Leo Chaikin had nine points on 10 free throw attempts, seven rebounds, and four assists.

Nieves led Tufts off the bench, while Medley (3-6 FG, 2-5 3-PT, 8-12 FT) added 16 and Wooten 14 (1-7 FG, 1-4 3-PT, 11-12 FT).

Three of KSC's four losses this season are by five points or less, two at home, and two also to ranked teams (and another to a team receiving votes).

The Owls will look to begin to turn things around with a pair of league games this week, including a road contest at Vermont State University Castleton (2-4) on Wednesday, December 3 at 7:30 p.m.  KSC also hosts the University of Massachusetts-Boston (2-5, 0-3 road) on Saturday, December 6 at 3:00 p.m.