CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Five players finished in double figures, led by Isaac Dobie's team-high 18 points, as the MIT men's basketball team earned a 79-73 non-conference victory over Rhode Island College on Saturday night at Rockwell Cage.
Jackson Weiland added 16 points, while Mike Ewing tailed 15 and Wyatt Mowery dropped in 12. Rome Delgado-Gonzalez was the final MIT player in double figures, scoring 11 points while pulling down 11 rebounds for the Engineers, who outscored the Anchormen 45-37 after halftime to earn the victory.
THE BASICS:
- Score: MIT 79, RIC 73
- Records: MIT 2-1 Overall, RIC 2-1 Overall
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Dobie's jumper at 13:57 of the first half tied the game at 9-9 following a back-and-forth opening six minutes of play. The deadlock was the first of eight tie scores and 11 lead changes throughout the night.
- Rhode Island College pushed through the next five minutes of play, opening a slight 21-17 advantage when Loudon Chupas found Xavier Mendez for a layup at 21-17.
- The Anchormen would lead by as many as six when Noe Bom fought his way to the basket at 6:33 to make the score 26-20.
- A 9-3 MIT run over the next three minutes of play tied the game at 29-29, as Mowery knocked down a pair of free throws at 3:37. Little separated the teams over the final three and half minutes of play with Rhode Island College taking a 36-34 advantage into the break.
- Rhode Island continued to lead through the opening five minutes of the second half, taking a 44-40 advantage when Bom hit a free throw at 15:01. However, the Engineers countered with a 7-3 run to tie the game at 47-47 after Henry Marshall found Ewing at the bucket at 12:49.
- Tyriek Weeks put Rhode Island College back ahead on its next possession, but MIT took its first lead of the second half, 50-49, when Dobie knocked down a triple at 11:53.
- Rhode Island College regained its advantage over the next four minutes of play, only to see MIT counter to take the lead, 60-59, when Dobie hit two free throws at 7:21. The advantage sparked MIT with the Engineers moving ahead by as many as six points, 69-63, when Delgado-Gonzales found an open Ewing at the basket with 4:43 left in regulation.
- MIT continued to hold a six-point advantage inside four minutes of play. Rhode Island College slimmed the deficit to 71-68 when Tyriek Weeks hit the second of two free throws. However, the Engineers pushed the lead back to five, 73-68, thanks to a Delgado-Gonzalez jumper in the lane at 1:37.
- Delgado-Gonzalez made one-of-two free throws on the next MIT possession, but Bom countered with a triple for the Anchormen to make the score 74-71.
- Delgado-Gonzalez hit four free throws over the final 33 seconds and Dobie knocked down the final free throw of the game to help the Engineers close out the victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Ewing finished one rebound shy of a double-double for MIT.
- Mowery had a career-high four assists, all in the first half.
- MIT enjoyed playing on its home floor for the first time this season, shooting a season best 48.1% from the floor.
- The Engineers had a slight advantage on the glass, 41-38.
- Rhode Island College's Xavier Medez was the game-high scorer with 22 points.
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