Ben Ferris' first NESCAC game was one to remember. Tufts athletics file photo

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - Freshman Ben Ferris scored 23 points and junior tri-captain Scott Anderson added 19 to lead the visiting Tufts Jumbos to an 80-71 victory at No. 7 Williams College in the NESCAC season-opener on Friday night.

• Friday night men's scores
• Friday night women's scores
• Tufts women also upset Williams
• Whitworth men survive 2-OT thriller

The Jumbos led by one at the half, built their lead to 18 points in the second half and then held off a late Williams comeback attempt to earn the win. Tufts is now 8-3 overall after ending a 10-game winning streak by the Ephs, who fall to 11-2. The Ephs had won 18 consecutive regular-season games in the conference. Michael Mayer led the hosts with 20 points and eight rebounds.

Tufts got out to a 9-2 lead in the first four minutes and would hold a slim advantage for the first 17 minutes of play. The Ephs overtook the Jumbos briefly when Mayer's lay-up put them in front 27-25 with 3:06 to go until halftime. However, Williams would only lead for 16 seconds in the entire game.

Tufts took a 32-31 lead into the locker room. Anderson led the Jumbos with nine points at the break, while Mayer had 16 for Williams.

Four points by Anderson extended the Jumbo margin to seven (38-31) early in the second half. Ferris would nail four three-pointers in the second half, helping the Jumbos take a 65-47 lead with 8:29 remaining. He would score 19 of his game-high 23 points in the second half. His fourth trifecta capped an 18-6 run by the Jumbos.

Williams slowly chipped away at the lead and got within eight, 68-60, when a pair of free throws by Hayden Rooke-Ley ended a 13-3 spurt by the hosts. Ferris' jumper at 3:18 stopped the run, and then sophomore guard Kwame Firempong added two free throws to put Tufts up 72-60 with 2:56 on the clock.

The Ephs would pull within 10 a few times in the final minutes, but the Jumbos were solid at the line to keep the hosts at a distance. The Jumbos finished the second half with a 63.6 shooting percentage (14-for-22).

Ferris finished 8-for-11 shooting, including 4-for-5 on threes. Anderson recorded a double-double with 10 rebounds. Freshman guard C.J. Moss added 10 points as Tufts finished the night at 53.1 percent (26-for-49) from the floor. They earned a 40-26 advantage on the glass.

Rooke-Ley scored 13 points for the Ephs, while Preseason All-American James Wang was held to 2-for-10 shooting and 11 points. Williams finished 2-for-18 from three-point land.