WORCESTER, Mass. — Sophomore Justin Molen (Newark, Del.) scored 18 points and pulled down eight rebounds and senior Aidan Callahan (Rowley, Mass.) added 15 points and four assists to lead No. 13/17 WPI to a 72-53 victory over the MIT men's basketball team on Saturday afternoon at Harrington Auditorium.
Senior Bret Marelli (Hampton, N.H.) and grad student Nicholas Margetson (Baldwin, N.Y.) each added 12 points, as WPI clinched the outright NEWMAC regular season championship with the win. Senior Spencer Lin (Menlo Park, Calif.) had 10 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals to lead MIT.
THE BASICS:
- Score: WPI 72, MIT 53
- Records: WPI (21-2,13-1 NEWMAC), MIT (9-15, 3-12 NEWMAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- WPI never trailed in the contest, jumping out to a 14-6 lead when Callahan knocked down a jumper in the paint at 13:51.
- Three straight MIT buckets, two from sophomore Merlin Gogolin (New York, N.Y.) and one from Lin, pulled MIT back within two, 14-12, at 11:54, as the visitors would eventually tie the score, 21-21, at the 8:35 mark of the first when junior Parker Spann (Omaha, Neb.) dropped in a layup.
- MIT kept WPI in its sights over the next three minutes of play, exchanging baskets with the hosts until the 4:47 mark when Molen knocked down a three pointer that ignited a 13-4 run to end the half, sending the host Engineers into the break with a 41-30 lead.
- The WPI lead by double digits throughout the second half. Junior Tim Minicozzi (Belmont, Mass.) hit the second of two free throws to trim the deficit to ten at 16:46 but MIT was unable to get any closer.
- The hosts would lead by as many 26 points when Margetson connected on a three pointer with 5:33 left in the second half.
- MIT worked the deficit back to 19 in the finals seconds when a Woods Windham (Greer, S.C.) layup gave the game its 72-53 final.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Lin has now scored in double figures in five of his last six games for MIT.
- Spann added nine points, four rebounds and four assists for MIT. Gogolin added eight points.
- Margetson grabbed seven rebounds to go along with his 12 points.
- WPI finished the game 27-of-59 (45.8%) from the field, while MIT shot 20-of-46 (43.5%) but WPI was 8-of-27 from distance with MIT finishing just 2-of-13 on there point attempts.
- WPI scored 21 points off of 21 MIT turnovers, limiting the visitors to eight points off of just eight turnovers.
- MIT had the advantage on the glass, 32-28.
UP NEXT:
- MIT returns home to close out the NEWMAC regular season on Wednesday, February 19. The Engineers will host Clark for Senior Day at 6:00 PM. WPI will travel to Springfield on Wednesday at 7:00 PM before closing out the season at home next Saturday against Wheaton.
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