WORCESTER, Mass. –  Aliaun Iscandari scored a game-high 18 points to lead host Clark University to an 84-68 victory over the MIT men's basketball team in the NEWMAC regular season opener for both teams on Wednesday evening at the Kneller Athletic Center.

Isaac Dobie and Michael Zhang each scored 15 points to lead MIT. Dobie added a team-high seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Zhang also added three more MIT steals in the setback. 

THE BASICS:

• Score: Clark 84, MIT 68 
• Records: Clark 6-3 Overall (1-0 NEWMAC), MIT 4-5 Overall (0-1 NEWMAC) 

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Engineers had the early momentum, taking a 10-6 lead after a layup from Merlin Gogolin at 15:03. However, back-to-back threes on the next two Clark possessions put the Cougars ahead, 12-10, at the 14:07 mark of the first.  
• Clark never trailed for the remainder of regulation, leading by as many as ten points at the end of the first half, 43-33, before growing the lead to 21 points, 71-50, when John Boluwasefe finished on a dunk and-one with 5:38 left in the second half. 
• The Engineers closed the deficit back to 13 points inside the final two minutes, when a layup from Jackson Weiland made the score 78-65, but never threatened the Clark advantage as the hosts closed out the 84-68 victory. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Gogolin and Mike Ewing also finished in double figures for MIT, each scoring 11 points.  
• Weiland matched his season-high with six assists, adding seven points and a steal. 
• The Engineers finished the game shooting 40.4% from the field but Clark shot 51.9% on the game, knocking down 28-of-54 shots, including 11-of-25 from three-point range (44.0%) 
• Four Clark players finished in double figures, including Quentin Pridgen, who finished with a 16-point, 10-rebound double double.  

UP NEXT:  

• MIT will close out the first half of the season on Saturday when the Engineers welcome Salve Regina to Rockwell Cage at 1:00 PM.

STAY CONNECTED:  

• For the latest on MIT Athletics, follow the Engineers on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.