Bryan Wholey '08 scored 28 points, eclipsing his previous career high of 24 points set last season against Plymouth State.

LEWISTON, Maine -- Junior Bryan Wholey scored 18 of his career-high 28 points in the first half, leading the Bates College men's basketball team to a 37-12 halftime advantage en route to a 72-44 NESCAC victory over Tufts University on Saturday.

Bates (14-2, 1-2 NESCAC) earned its first conference win in improbably easy fashion, outrebounding the Jumbos (9-6, 1-2) 37-26, outscoring them 13-0 on second-chance points, 30-18 in the paint and 26-7 in points off turnovers. The 12 points they allowed the Jumbos in the first half set a school record for stingiest scoring defense in a period.

Wholey (Marshfield, Mass.) hit 10-of-14 shots from the field, including 2-of-2 on three-pointers, while grabbing five rebounds and snagging two steals.

Senior Rob Stockwell (Temple, N.H.) was the only other Bobcat in double figures, with 10 points, though he played only 16 minutes due to early foul trouble and the fact that Bates' lead continued to grow even without the senior co-captain in the lineup.

Senior co-captain Zak Ray (Bangor, Maine) had seven points, three assists and four steals, while first-year Jimmy O'Keefe (Lexington, Mass.) grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.

Tufts senior Jason Grauer (New York, N.Y.) led the Jumbos with 10 points. Junior Ryan O'Keefe added eight points, while junior Jake Weitzen (New York, N.Y.) added seven points and a team-high five rebounds. Senior David Shepherd (Grantham, N.H.) had a game-high six assists.

A Stockwell jumper in the post gave Bates a 9-6 lead, beginning a 15-0 Bates run over a 6 1/2-minute stretch of the first half, with Wholey scoring 11 of Bates' points. A Ryan O'Keefe layup stemmed the bleeding, but Wholey converted another layup to start a 15-4 Bates run that finished out the half. The Jumbos didn't help themselves at the foul line in the first period, missing all seven free throws, including three that were the front end of a one-and-one situation.

Tufts cut the deficit to 20 early in the second half at 41-21, but the Bobcats again answered with a 13-3 run, led by six points by first-year guard Chris Wilson (Brewer, Maine), to put the game out of reach for good.

Bates hosts Emmanuel College Tuesday night at 7 p.m., while Tufts hosts Wheaton College Tuesday night at 8.

STATS: Bates 72, Tufts 44