Three NESCAC teams advanced in the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Tournament on Saturday. Trinity, Tufts, and Wesleyan each rallied in the second half to dispatch their opponents and move on to the “Sweet 16” Round.
Trinity def. Babson, 71-61 | Box Score
Henry Vetter scored 20 points and Trinity rallied from a four-point halftime deficit to defeat Babson 71-61 at Ray Oosting Gymnasium.
The Bantams trailed 31-27 at intermission but outscored the Beavers 44-30 in the second half, shooting 61.5 percent from the field after the break to pull away.
Vetter, who went 6 of 8 from the floor and a perfect 6 for 6 at the free-throw line, was complemented by Drew Lazarre and Jared Berry, who each added 11 points off the bench.
Trinity (28-2) scored 17 fast-break points and dominated in the paint, outscoring Babson 36-26.
Timmy Mulvey led Babson (22-8) with 15 points, while Thomas Ferdinando added 13. The Beavers committed 14 turnovers, which Trinity converted into 16 points to help fuel its second-half surge.
Tufts def. Catholic, 74-60 | Box Score
Joshua Bernstein posted 24 points and 10 rebounds, and Tufts overcame a five-point halftime deficit to defeat Catholic 74-60 at Cousens Gym.
The Jumbos trailed 31-26 at the break but outscored the Cardinals 48-29 in the second half, shooting 53.3 percent from the field while holding Catholic to just 28.6 percent after intermission. Tufts also dominated in the paint, outscoring Catholic 42-26, and converted 19 points off turnovers.
Jon Medley added 17 points and six assists for Tufts (23-5), which forced 12 Catholic turnovers and turned them into 19 points.
CJ Ruoff led Catholic (20-9) with 23 points, going 8 of 9 from the free-throw line, while Brian Herbert chipped in 16.
Wesleyan def. NYU, 84-69 | Box Score
Zach Wolinski scored 21 points and Sam Pohlman added 20 and eight assists to lead all five starters in double figures as Wesleyan pulled away in the second half to defeat NYU 84-69 at Silloway Gymnasium.
The Cardinals led 39-36 at halftime and outscored the Violets 45-33 in the second half, shooting 52 percent from the floor while dominating the glass with 40 rebounds to NYU's 31. Wesleyan also converted 21 second-chance points, a decisive edge in a game that was tied four times.
Oscar Edelman contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Fritz Hauser matched him with 14 points for Wesleyan (24-6), which shot 83.3 percent (15-for-18) from the free-throw line.
Darren Rubin led NYU (18-10) with 20 points and Luke Kolaja added 19, but the Violets shot just 39.1 percent from the field.
Mary Washington def. Amherst, 81-64 | Box Score
Kye Robinson scored 22 points and Mary Washington pulled away with a dominant second half to eliminate Amherst, 81-64, at Ron Rosner Arena.
The Eagles trailed 34-33 at halftime but outscored the Mammoths 48-30 in the second half, shooting 66.7 percent from the field after the break to advance.
Ulysses Young added 19 points and Jay Randall grabbed 11 rebounds to go along with 12 points for Mary Washington (27-3), which led by as many as 27.
The Eagles' second-half surge was fueled by 10 assists on 18 made field goals and a stingy defense that forced Amherst into a 29.4 percent shooting performance after intermission.
K.J. Neville led Amherst (19-9) with 16 points and grabbed five rebounds. Marc Garraud added 10 points off the bench.
