SALEM — Ryan Spadaford (Rockville Center, N.Y.) connected on a three-pointer at the buzzer in overtime to lift the Tufts Jumbos to a thrilling 83-80 victory over the #11 Babson Beavers in the championship game of the New England Big 4 Classic. The win gives Tufts its second Crotty Cup and denies Babson its third straight championship. The victory moves the Jumbos to 5-2 on the season while the Beavers slip to 6-2.
Trailing, Tufts 40-24 at halftime, Babson erased a 16-point second half deficit, but missed free throws down the stretch forced overtime, giving the Judges another opportunity to come away with the victory.
Vincent Pace (Bridgewater, N.J.) led all scorers with 25 points and was named the New England Big 4 Tournament MVP. Pace also added six rebounds and four assist for the Jumbos, who also won the cup in 2011. Isaiah Nelsen (North Andover, Mass.) led the Beavers with 22 points and eight rebounds while Tuft’s Tarik Smith (Bronx, N.Y.) contributed 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting as both players were named to the all-tournament team.
In the opening minutes Spadaford converted a layup on the first possession for Tufts, but Babson scored on five straight possessions to take a 10-2 lead. The Jumbos quickly erased the deficit, as Pace and Ben Engvall (Barrington, R.I) hit back-to-back three’s to highlight a 14-0 run for Tufts. Leading 23-20, the Jumbos extended their lead with twelve straight points sparked by Smith, who scored eight of the points. Meanwhile, Babson went nearly three minutes without a point until Joey Flannery (Acton, Mass.) hit a free throw to break the drought at the 2:39 mark. However, Pace knocked in a long three and followed with a dunk that gave the Jumbos a 37-23 lead with a minute remaining. The Beavers struggled from the field, shooting just 29.6% (8-27) and hit just 57.1% (8-14) from the line. Smith hit a layup right before halftime that gave the Jumbos their largest lead of the afternoon at 40-24. Nelsen scored 10 first half points for Babson, which committed 10 first half turnovers. Pace led all scorers with 11 first half points.
Down 42-26, Babson’s Joey Flannery (Acton, Mass.) converted on an and-one, and then hit a layup to pull the Beavers to within 11. Tufts went cold from the field, making just two field goals after their opening basket to allow the Beavers to draw within six at 48-42 after Nick Comenale (New York Mills, N.Y) drained a three at the 13:38 mark. Babson grabbed their first lead since 10-8 when a goal tending call gave the Beavers a 58-57 advantage with 7:50 left.
The Beavers held the largest lead by either team of six points over the final three minutes, but a three point play by Smith and clutch free throw shooting by Pace and Engvall put the Jumbos down just 72-71 with a minute remaining. Basbon went two straight possessions without a basket and a Spadaford layup put Tufts up momentarily 73-72. Nelsen connected on a free throw, but missed the second forcing overtime.
Overtime was a back and forth affair, Tufts led 76-73 on a Pace three pointer, but Babson tied it back up on a bucket by Bradley Jacks (Fort Washington, Md.) and free throw by Flannery. Following two straight misses by the Beavers, Smith gave the Jumbos the lead back with another three point play, but Flannery tied it at the line with thirty seconds remaining, setting up Spadaford’s game winning basket.
Spadaford finished with 13 points and seven rebounds while Engvall chipped in with 12 for Tufts, which shot 39.5&% (30-76) for the game. Flannery earned a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds while Jacks ended with 10 points for Babson, which shot just 22-37 (59.5%) from the line, including five misses in the closing minutes of regulation.
The win prevented the Beavers form tying Brandeis, which leads the New England Big 4 series with three victories. John Powell (Ashland, Mass.) of Brandeis and Billy Muse (Salem, Mass.) of Salem State were also named to the all-tournament team. The New England Big 4 Challenge was started in 2009 in honor of Michael Crotty Sr., founder and director of the Middlesex Magic AAU Club and features an annual tournament between Babson, Tufts, Brandeis and Salem State.
Brandeis 83 Salem State 63
SALEM – John Powell (Ashland, Mass.) poured in 18 points and added 14 rebounds while Robinson Vilmont (Cambridge, Mass.) added 20 points for Brandeis, which led from start to finish, as the Judges defeated Salem State 83-63 in the consolation game of the New England Big 4 Classic on Sunday afternoon at Twohig Gymnasium. Brandeis is now 5-3 on the season while Salem State slips to 4-4.
Brandeis raced out to an early 8-0 lead behind three-pointers by Robinson Vilmont (Cambridge, Mass.) and Samuel Dowden (Andover, Mass.); taking advantage of poor early shooting by Salem State 37.9% (11-29) which opened the game 0-6. Billy Muse (Salem, Mass.) knocked in two three-pointers to pull the Vikings to within 16-15. However, Brandies found success in the paint with Powell scoring 12 first half points to lead the Judges, who dominated the Vikings in the post with 20 points.
Leading 22-16, the Judges went on a 14-0 run as Powell and Vilmont combined for seven points during the spurt, while Brandeis shot a sizzling 59.3% (16-27) from the field to push the lead to 40-22 with 1:39 remaining. A Powell tip-in made the lead 42-24 before Drew Healy (Lowell, Mass.) hit a jumper at the buzzer that made the halftime score 43-28 in favor of the Judges. Muse and Healy led Salem State with six points each.
Jack Harnett (Medford, Mass.) scored seven straight Brandeis points to begin the second half as the Judges built a 50-28 lead. The Vikings cut the lead to 13 on a Shaquan Murray (Boston, Mass.) layup, 54-41, but two three-pointers and a bucket by Vilmont, in between a basket by Marcus Faison(Cambridge, Mass.) increased the margin back to 19, 62-43 (Cambridge, Mass.). Powell continued his dominance in the post and his free throw gave Brandeis its largest lead 79-56 with 3:54 remaining. Salem State had no answer for the Vilmont on the outside, who finished 5-for-6 from behind the arc and 7-of-11 from the field overall.
Dowden finished with 14 points and Tim Reale (Mason, Ohio) contributed with 10 points and four assists for the Judges, who finished the game shooting 55.4% (31-56). Muse and Healy led the Vikings with 11 points each, as Muse was a perfect 3-of-3 from the field and 2-of-2 from the line.
