MEDFORD – Freshman Stephen Haladyna (Hamilton, MA) scored a team-high 21 points as the Tufts University Jumbos survived a late comeback by the Wesleyan University Cardinals, 77-75, in NESCAC men's basketball action on Friday night at Cousens Gym.

The Jumbos have now won three straight league games to improve to 9-7 overall and 3-2 in NESCAC play. Wesleyan falls to 7-10 (1-4).

Tufts led by 11 at halftime and was up by as many as 15 in the first half. Wesleyan's only advantage of the game came in the first four minutes as the Cardinals were up 5-2. The Jumbos took the lead at 7-5 on a three-pointer by Haladyna and never surrendered it.

The 15-point cushion for Tufts came with 3:08 remaining the first half, 35-20.  The Cardinals used a mini 8-4 run to end the half and close the gap to 11 (39-28). Wesleyan senior Shasha Brown (Harlem, NY) scored four points during the stretch.

Haladyna had 12 points in the first half on 4 of 7 shooting. Sophomore Ben Ferris (Essex Junction, VT) checked in with 10. Wesleyan was led by seven points each from Brown and senior Derick Beresford (Hampton, GA). Tufts out-shot Wesleyan 58.3-percent (14/24) to 45.5-percent (10/122) in the first stanza.

Tufts kept at least a two-possession lead throughout the second half until the 9:49 mark.  The Cardinals used a 9-0 run lasting 2:32. A Beresford three-pointer helped start the run while a layup by freshman Rashid Epps (Albrightsville, PA) capped it to pull Wesleyan within three at 59-56.

The Jumbos then answered with a 10-0 spurt of their own to build the lead back up to 13.  Wesleyan chipped away over the next four minutes to get back within four, 73-69, with a 1:06 to play. Haladyna split a pair of free throws before Brown hit a jumper for Wesleyan to make it 74-71 Tufts. Haladyna went back to the line with 15 seconds left and this time he knocked down both.

Beresford drained another three-ball for the Cardinals with 10 seconds left and then Jumbo junior Oliver Cohen (Penn Valley, PA) went 1 for 2 at the charity stripe to set up the last possession of the game with the Jumbos on top 77-74.

Tufts decided to foul the Cardinals sending Brown to the line where he made the first and missed the second. The ensuing rebound went out of bounds off the Jumbos. Junior Glen Thomas' (Washington, DC) attempt at a tying bucket with less than a second remaining was no good.

Haladyna earned his Tufts-high 21 points on 6 for 11 shooting and made 8 of 9 free throws in 23 minutes off the bench. Ferris finished with 20 points, going 7 of 9 from the field. Freshman Tom Palleschi (Haverhill, MA) and senior Scott Anderson (Sudbury, MA) each added 11 points.

Beresford led Wesleyan with 26 points on 10 for 16 shooting. He was also 4 of 6 from long range. Brown checked in with 21 points and an 11 for 13 night at the charity stripe.

The Jumbos finished the game shooting 57.8-percent (26/45) while the Cardinals shot 50 percent (26/52).

Tufts is back in action at 2 pm on Saturday when they host Connecticut College at Cousens Gym. Wesleyan travels to Bates for a 2 pm NESCAC matchup.

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