Men’s Basketball Takes Down Tufts, 89-78

MEDFORD, Mass. – Suffolk men's basketball did what just four teams has done before, defeat Tufts, as Max Bonney-Liles burst out to a game-high 31 points to lead an 89-78 comeback win over the Jumbos Tuesday night at Cousens Gym.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 89 | Tufts 78
RECORDS: Suffolk (8-6) | Tufts (11-3)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
All five of Suffolk's starters etched their name on the score sheet over the first four minutes to put the Rams ahead 13-5. Tufts took over in the next four with an 8-0 stretch to level the playing field at 13-all.  

Brendan Mulson's first triple of the day ended Suffolk's scoring draught after 4:07 and the blue-and-gold managed to hold on to the edge, 18-5. 

After Connor Byrne front rimmed the tail end of a two-shot trip to the free throw line the Jumbos jetted out to their first lead of the day, 20-19, at the 9:43 minute mark. 

Things flipped back in the Rams favor when Mulson knocked down his second trey of the day and an old fashion three-point play from Bonney-Liles made the gap two points, 25-23.  

The lead exchanged three more times from there, ending in Tufts favor, 30-27. That margin grew to as many as eight, 39-31, with just 1:21 left in the first frame.  

Mulson buried his third bucket from behind-the-arc to keep things within single digits before Jarret Byrne converted a lay-up. The sophomore's first points of the night trimmed the margin to five, but a tip-in by Dylan Thoerner as time expired sent the Jumbos into the break with the advantage, 43-36.  

Bonney-Liles burst out of the break with a jumper and three-pointer to turn it into a one-possession game. Tufts regained an eight-point advantage, but a Rams 14-6 run that featured four points from George Grillakis evened the score at 55-55 with 11:05 remaining in regulation.  

William Rowe broke a 57-all tie with layup under the 10-minute mark. That hoop sparked an 8-4 Suffolk stretch that put the visitors ahead, 65-61, two minutes later.  

Suffolk slowly built a double-digit distance that was cemented when Bonney-Liles buried a long ball, his third of the night with exactly 3:00 on the clock.  

It was time maintenance and patience that paid off the rest of the way as Jeff Juron's Rams used the shot clock in their favor and hit their freebies when challenged to be the first squad to defeat the Jumbos in three decades.  

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Bonney-Liles'31-point performance featured a 24-point second stanza, and a perfect 10-for-10 showing at the charity stripe. The sophomore shot 9-for-12 from the field, and went 3-for-4 from downtown. He added four assists and two boards. 
• Rowe registered 16 points behind a 7-for-10 effort from the field with five rebounds.
• Mulson had an all-around night of 12 points, five caroms, four takeaways and three dimes. 
• Jonathan Eng was on the verge of double digits with nine points, going 50 percent (4-8) from the field with five rebounds, four helpers and two steals. 
• Thomas Duffy's eight points completed Suffolk's starting five that was responsible for 85.4 percent (76-89) of the Rams' offensive output. 
• As a team, Suffolk shot 50.8 percent (32-63) from the floor, 38.9 percent (7-18) from behind-the-arc and 85.7 percent (18-21) at the free throw line. 
• Tufts, who received a 24-point, 10-rebound double-double from Luke Rogers, outrebounded the Rams, 42-30.   

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk and Tufts met for the 35th time, first since 2012. 
• The Rams and Jumbos battled for the first-time in the Juron era. 
• Suffolk defeated Tufts for the fifth time in the all-time series, first since a 79-78 decision Feb. 4, 1989. 
• The 11-point triumph over the Jumbos is the largest margin of victory for Suffolk in the all-time series. 
• Bonney-Liles dropped a career-high 31 points, the first player this season to produce a 30-plus point game. His personal-best came off career highs in field goals made (9) and free throws made (10). 
• Rowe matched career highs in points (16) and field goals made (7). 

POST-GAME PIC
  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk heads into GNAC action Saturday, Jan. 18 against Anna Maria. The AMCATs and Rams will battle at Simmons' Moore Gymnasium at 1 p.m.