MEDFORD, Mass. – Junior Jumbo James Morakis racked up 20 points against the Mammoths Friday night, leading Tufts University to defeat the Amherst men's basketball team 90-51 in the Cousens Gymnasium.

Amherst dropped to 11-10 overall and 2-5 in the NESCAC. Tufts improved to 18-4 and 6-2 in the conference. The Mammoths will travel to New London and compete against Connecticut College on Saturday, where they'll face the Camels at 3 p.m.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

*The Jumbos blasted ahead of Amherst early on, going on a 10-2 run in the opening five minutes. A three-pointer from senior Noah Helmke paused Tuft's momentum, but the Jumbos responded with a 5-0 rally in the following three minutes.

*Senior Ryker Vance tallied two jumpers as the final ten minutes of the half encroached, and another jumper from Helmke made it 13-26 with 7:36 to play.

*The final five minutes of the stanza saw Tufts regain their momentum again, blasting off on an 18-2 run that left the Mammoths in a 19-51 deficit heading into the second half.

*The second half started with a back-and-forth affair as free throws from the Mammoths stalled Tuft's hot-shooting momentum. In the fourth minute, Amherst went on a 5-0 run highlighted by two free throws from senior Will Scherer and a three-pointer from junior Chris Hammond.

*Free throws from Vance and junior Drew Martin, alongside another Martin jumper, allowed Amherst to rally as the final eight minutes counted down. A driving layup from first-year Elias Chin added two more for Amherst with 5:16 remaining, making it 46-76.

*Jumpers and free throws from Tufts in the final two minutes crushed Amherst's hope for a comeback, ending the showdown 90-51.

BY THE NUMBERS:

*Tufts held an advantage in all shooting metrics, converting 59.3% (35-59) of field goals compared to 30.6% (19-62), 40.9% compared to 26.7%, and 91.7% compared to 69.2% from Amherst.

*Vance scored the most for Amherst, netting 10 points. Scherer led in rebounds, blocks, and steals for the Mammoths, earning 8, 3, and 3 respectively.