Men's Basketball Falls to Tufts In Season Opener, 78-63

BEVERLY, Mass. — The Endicott Men's Basketball team fell in its season opener to Tufts, 78-63, on Sunday afternoon at MacDonald Gymnasium.

Freshman forward Elijah Kinney (Nashville, Tenn.) was a major bright spot in his collegiate debut, as he dropped 13 points, snagged eight rebounds, blocked two shots, and scooped up two steals in the loss.

Sophomore guard and reigning 2022-23 CCC Rookie of the Year Jeff Hill (Lynn, Mass.) led the Gulls in scoring with his 14 points on the afternoon, and also ripped down four boards for the Blue and Green.

Despite trailing by eight with 2:26 remaining in the first half, the Gulls went on a 7-2 run ignited by Mark Barrett (Brookline, Mass.) and Matt Boen (Mansfield, Mass.) to close the gap to just three at the break.

However, the Jumbos ran away with the game in the second, outscoring the Gulls 40-28 to take the season opener.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Cam Homsey (Lawrence, Mass.) collected five rebounds and dished out a team-high five assists off Endicott's bench.
• Boen led all bench players with six points, and also secured four rebounds in his Endicott debut.
• Barrett was a defensive highlight, as he compiled three steals and four blocks in the game.
• Endicott's first loss in a season-opener since March 6, 2021 (Suffolk, 95-84). 
• Brothers Parker McLaren (Newburyport, Mass.) and Casey McLaren (Newburyport, Mass.) went head-to-head for the second time in their collegiate careers, scoring four points and six points, respectively.

WHAT'S NEXT 

Endicott (0-1) travels to MIT on Wednesday, November 15 at 7:00 PM. Tufts (1-0) hosts Emerson College on Tuesday, November 14 at 7:00 PM. 

For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

(Photo Credit - Mazzie Hinsdale '26)