Worcester, Mass. – In a game that featured seven ties and 13 lead changes, visiting Tufts University escaped with a thrilling 65-64 overtime win over Clark University in non-league men's basketball action on Monday evening.

Ben Ferris (Essex Junction, Vt.) dropped in a three-pointer with exactly three minutes left to play in the extra session for the final lead change, putting the Jumbos up for good at 65-63.

After Brian Vayda (Sturbridge, Mass.) connected on his third three-pointer of the game to give the Cougars a 63-60 lead less than a minute into overtime, Clark only scored one more point – a Jonathan Phillips (Shrewsbury, Mass.) free throw – the rest of the game.

That being said, the Cougars still had a chance to win the game in the waning seconds. An inbounds pass found Nicholas DaPrato (Marshfield, Mass.) at the free throw line, but his turnaround jumper as time expired was a hair long and bounced away giving Tufts their ninth win in their last ten games.

Most of regulation was a back-and-forth affair with the Clark lead peaking in the opening minutes of the game as they scored the contest's first five points. The Jumbos regrouped and took a six-point lead after a Scott Anderson (Sudbury, Mass.) finish off a feed from Oliver Cohen (Penn Valley, Pa.).

The Cougars ran off five straight points to get within one after a Jake Gubitose (Fiskdale, Mass.) three-pointer and a D.J. Bailey (Palmer, Mass.) hoop, but Tufts went into the intermission ahead, 28-26.

Clark took another five-point lead in the opening minutes of the second half as Vayda scored inside and Marcus Armstrong (Malden, Mass.) rolled in a hoop on the break.

Ferris and Tom Palleschi (Haverhill, Mass.) each had a pair of baskets during an 8-2 run that gave Tufts a lead they would hold on to for the next nine minutes.

After a three minute stretch late in the second half where neither team scored, Travis Curley (Trumbull, Conn.) dropped in a three-pointer that brought Clark to within one at 54-53 with 5:19 left.

Tufts' scoring drought continued for three more minutes and the Cougars took advantage, as Phillips scored inside and Vayda split a pair from the free throw line, giving Clark a56-54 lead with less than three minutes to play.

Ferris answered for the Jumbos with a jumper that knotted the score at 56-56, but Vayda fired back with a long-range two-pointer that put Clark back in front.

Palleschi made one of two from the free throw line and the Cougars seemed to be in good shape after Bailey muscled inside for a basket, making the score 60-57 with 1:23 to go.

Kwame Firempong (Inglewood, Calif.) seemed to be in trouble on Tufts' next possession as the shot clock wore down, but he calmly sank the game-tying three-pointer with 52 seconds to play.

Vayda had a chance to put the Cougars ahead but his jumper was long and the ball bounced right to Bailey. Ferris, however, was able towrestle the ball away from Bailey and launch a half court heave that was online but just short, grazing the bottom of the net on its way to the floor sending the game into the extra session.

Clark held slight edges in rebounds (39-37) and on points in the paint (30-26), while shooting 46 percent from the floor, including connecting on 63 percent in the final 20 minutes.

Both teams had 16 assists, 14 turnovers and four fast break points, but the Jumbos were better from the charity stripe, going 11-for-17, while Clark went just 5-for-10.

Ferris led Tufts with 17 points and seven boards and Anderson – coming off of a career-high 35 in a 100-89 loss at Amherst on Saturday – finished with 15 points and four boards. Palleschi, meanwhile added 14 points and eight rebounds and Firempong chipped in with six points, four rebounds and five assists in 37 minutes.

Vayda led all scorers, recording his sixth double-double of the season with 22 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. Bailey added 12 points, eight rebounds and four blocks – moving into second-place on the school's all-time rejection list with 113 in just 70 games.

Clark (11-10) returns to NEWMAC action on Wednesday when they host Coast Guard at 7:00 p.m., while the Jumbos (15-8) close out their regular season on Friday night with a home contest against NESCAC rival Hamilton.