Emmanuel Drops 2024 Opener at No. 5 Tufts, 81-78

MEDFORD, Mass. - Tufts junior Khai Champion and sophomore Scott Gyimesi each poured in career-highs in points Sunday afternoon, helping the No. 5 Tufts University men's basketball team to an 81-78 win over a gritty Emmanuel College squad in the final non-conference game of the season for Tufts inside Cousens Gymnasium. 

Gyimesi was the main threat inside for Tufts (13-2) with 23 points, 18 rebounds, six assists and three blocks, while Champion did the honors from the perimeter for the Jumbos as he tallied 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting, nailing three triples off the bench for Tufts. 

The Jumbos came out of the gates quick as they scored the first seven points of the game, capped by a lay-up from junior Bobby Stewart two minutes into the game. The Tufts' lead would swell up to 12 points with 11:13 left in the first half, as a jumper by Jay Dieterle made the score 25-13. Emmanuel would gain the momentum from that point, scoring 13 straight points to take the lead at 26-25 after a three-point play from Noah Beaudet. 

The two squad exchanged leads twice before Tufts pushed its edge up to six at the halftime break after a Champion jumper at the buzzer made the score 43-37. 

The Jumbos led by as many as eight points early in the second half at 59-51 after a Champion bucket but Emmanuel went on an 9-0 run to take the lead once again at 60-59 after another three-point play by the Saints. Tufts responded by pulling back ahead by eight at 77-69 with 3:55 to play, but once again the Saints wouldn't go away as they rallied to make it a one-point game at 79-78 after a jumper from Donte Pope with 40 seconds to play. 

On the ensuing possession, Tufts missed a three-pointer but Gyimesi grabbed an offensive rebound and Emmanuel was forced to foul four times to get Tufts into the bonus. Dieterle hit both free throws to make it a three-point game, and Emmanuel would turn the ball over in their final chance to seal the win for Tufts. 

Dieterle finished with 13 points for the Jumbos, who shot 32-of-66 (48.5 percent) from the floor on the afternoon. Casey McLaren also tallied 10 points for the Jumbos, and first-year Jon Medley added six points, five rebounds and two blocks. Stewart also finished with four assists and seven rebounds, as the Jumbos outrebounded their guests 43-28 on the afternoon. 

Tufts held a 40-26 edge in points in the paint, while adding a 19-7 lead in second-chance points. The Saints were led by a career-high 18 points from Cameron Snowden, while Ryan Grijalva added 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Pope tallied 14 points and Beaudet tallied 10 points off the bench for EC, which shot 46.7 percent (28-60) for the contest. 

Emmanuel (5-8) returns to play on Wednesday, Jan. 10, traveling to Lasell University for Great Northeast Athletic Conference action at 7:30 p.m. The Jumbos will be back in action on the road Friday, January 12 at 7 p.m. in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) play against Amherst College in Amherst, Mass.

*Release courtesy Tufts University Athletic Communication Offices