THE BASICS:
 
- Score: Babson College 69, MIT 62
 
- Records: MIT (9-6, 2-3 NEWMAC); Babson College (11-6, 4-1 NEWMAC)
 
- Location: Babson Park, Mass. (Staake Gymnasium)
 
- The Lead: In a game that featured six lead changes, the MIT men's basketball team fell to Babson College by a 69-62 final on Wednesday night in NEWMAC action at Staake Gymnasium.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
- In a typical matchup between the two teams, things were even early on as sophomore Charles Rich (Holladay, Utah) tied it at 11-11 on a three-point with just over 12 minutes left before half. The game remained tied at 21-21 at the 7:55 mark before the Engineers embarked on a 14-4 run over the next 6:05 to seize a double-digit advantage at 35-25 after an Ian Hinkley (Raleigh, N.C.) layup off a pass from junior Alex Cho (San Diego, Calif.).  
 
- The lead stretched to 11 twice, including at 41-30 with 1:01 left after a corner three from senior Julian Manyika (San Francisco, Calif.), while a quick 5-0 Babson run made it a 41-35 margin at the break.
 
- Things remained tight in the early going of the second with MIT holding the 48-45 edge with 16:30 left in regulation after a fastbreak layup from Rich. Hinkley and Spencer Cline traded jumpers moments later and Rob Crouch scored on a layup off an MIT turnover that put the Beavers back up at 51-50.
 
- Later in the second half, Kieran Dorney scored with 9:38 on the clock for the 57-52 lead, but the Engineers put together a 7-2 run that was capped by a three from the top of the key by Hinkley to tie it at 59-59. After a couple quick lead changes, Crouch sparked a flurry of three straight baskets and the Beavers knocked down a number of late free throws to account for the 69-62 final score.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Hinkley tallied his third straight double-double with 19 points and 16 rebounds, along with 11 points from senior Giannis Chatziveroglou (Athens, Greece.). Mitchell Kirsch led all scorers with 20 points in 38 minutes, with 17 points from Dorney and 10 points and nine rebounds by Nate Amado.
 
UP NEXT:
 
- The Engineers return to action at home on Saturday, January 22nd as the team hosts Emerson College for a NEWMAC contest beginning at 2 p.m. Please note that only members of the MIT community who are in the Covid Pass system may attend home athletic events during IAP.
 
STAY CONNECTED:
 
- For the latest on MIT Athletics, follow the Engineers via social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.