MEDFORD - Freshman Stephen Haladyna (Hamilton, MA) scored a career-high 23 points, shooting 4 for 5 on three-pointers, as the Tufts men's basketball team earned its fifth straight victory, 67-48, against UMass Boston on Thursdsay night at Cousens Gym.
Haladyna has averaged 19.3 points per game over the last three contests for Tufts, who is now 11-7 overall. He was 8 for 11 shooting and added four rebounds. Senior Matt Lanchantin (Natick, MA) was also in double digits for Tufts with 12 points to go with six rebounds.
UMass Boston, losers in four of their last five games, dropped to 9-9. Sophomore Vinny DeLucia (Miami, FL) paced the Beacons with 14 points. Sophomore Brian Clarke (Miramar, FL) finished with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The Jumbos took control of the game with a first-half run. UMass Boston led 7-5 on Clarke's layup with 14:47 on the clock. However, Tufts scored the next 18 points to take a 23-7 advantage after a layup by senior co-captain Scott Anderson (Sudbury, MA) at the 7:28 mark. Six different Jumbos scored during the stretch, with threes by senior Alex Goldfarb (New York, NY) and Haladyna.
The hosts held a commanding 31-14 lead at halftime. Haladyna's eight points led Tufts at the break, while Clarke had four for the Beacons. The teams combined for 21 turnovers (11 by UMB) in a sloppy first 20 minutes. The visitors shot just 19.2 percent (5/26) including 0 for 7 on threes.
UMass Boston threatened to get back into it with an 11-3 run in the opening five minutes of the second half. DeLucia's five points and four by sophomore Carl Joseph (Brockton, MA) helped pull the Beacons within 34-25. However, Tufts followed with a 10-2 stretch led by threes from Goldfarb and Haladyna again to go up by 17 (44-27).
The Beacons' last gasp was a 9-0 run that pulled them within 49-36 with 8:52 remaining, but that's as close as they would get and Tufts went on to win comfortably.
Freshman Tom Palleschi (Haverhill, MA) added nine points and seven rebounds for Tufts, who return to NESCAC play on Saturday at Bates. Goldfarb finished with nine and sophomore Ben Ferris (Essex Junction, VT) had six points, eight rebounds, and five assists. The Jumbos were +8 in rebounds (43-35).
Joseph finished with nine points and two steals for UMass Boston, who hosts Keene State in Little East Conference action on Saturday. The Beacons shot just 31.6 percent (18/57) overall.
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