MEDFORD, Mass. – Bates College men's basketball used a furious second-half comeback to take a late lead, but Tufts University made enough plays down the stretch to hold on for a 59-55 win inside Cousens Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.

The Jumbos (9-8, 1-3 NESCAC) held a lead as large as 16 points at 44-28 with 13:11 remaining, but the Bobcats (9-7, 1-3 NESCAC) made their way back into the game behind a 21-3 run which gave them their first lead, 49-47, at the 5:57 mark.

Still trailing 50-49, Tufts senior Tommy Folliard (Richmond, Va.) hit a 3-pointer to give a 52-50 edge back to the hosts with 4:06 to play. About 90 seconds later, Bates junior Graham Safford (Hampden, Maine) converted an old-fashioned 3-point play to put the Bobcats back up, 53-52.

Tufts responded however as Folliard made another basket, and junior Ben Ferris (Essex Junction, Vt.) finished on a layup, his only field goal of the game, after rebounding his own missed jump shot to put the score back in the Jumbos' favor, 56-53. Bates had two opportunities to tie the game before Tufts sank enough free throws to seal the decision.

For the Bobcats, Safford led all scorers with 17 points to go with four rebounds and four assists. Sophomore Mike Boornazian (Portland, Conn.) tallied his fifth double-double of the season on 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Sophomore Stephen Haladyna (South Hamilton, Mass.) scored a team-high 14 points for Tufts alongside seven rebounds while first-year Hunter Sabety (Oceanside, N.Y.) netted 12 points. Ferris grabbed a team-best nine rebounds for the Jumbos.

Tufts opened the game with a 13-3 lead just less than seven minutes into the contest. The Jumbos then pushed their edge to 19-5 at the 9:56 mark as the Bobcats missed their first 13 shots from the field.

Still trailing 23-9, the Bobcats used an 8-2 spurt, including a Boornazian dunk, to pull within 25-17 with four minutes left in the half. Tufts scored the last basket of the period to take a 27-17 lead into the locker room.

Next, Bates hosts UMaine-Presque Isle on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in a non-league tilt while Tufts plays at Connecticut College on Friday at 8 p.m.