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Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Official Athletics Website of the MIT Engineers
MIT
Michael Zhang drives to the basket
Aiden Shertzer
68
Winner MIT MIT 1-1,0-0 NEWMAC
65
Middlebury Mid 0-1,0-0 NESCAC
Winner
MIT MIT
1-1,0-0 NEWMAC
68
Final
65
Middlebury Mid
0-1,0-0 NESCAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
MIT MIT 29 39 68
Middlebury Mid 32 33 65

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men’s Basketball Rallies Past Middlebury; Advances to UNE Tournament Championship Game

Biddeford, Maine – Michael Zhang poured in 22 points off the bench as the MIT men's basketball team erased a nine-point second half deficit to earn a 68-65 victory over Middlebury College in the opening round of the Jim Beaudry Classic, hosted by the University of New England, on Saturday night at the Harold Alfond Forum. With the victory, MIT advances to play Maine Maritime in the tournament's championship game. 

THE BASICS:

  • Score: MIT 68, Middlebury 65 
  • Records: MIT (1-1 Overall); Middlebury (0-1 Overall) 

HOW IT HAPPENED:

  • Middlebury had the early edge, opening the game on a 10-2 run before extending the advantage to 20-7 following Sawyer Ramey at 12:31.  
  • With the Engineers trailing by 13 points, a 10-2 MIT run cut the deficit down to five points just past the midway point of the first. Zhang and Rome Delgado-Gonzalez hit back-to-back threes to end the run, making the score 22-17 at 9:08. 
  • MIT continued to chip away at the lead through the late stages of the first half. Steele Labagh made a layup to move the Engineers within one possession, 30-27, at 5:26. A pair of free throws from Aiden Li then moved MIT within one, 30-29, at 4:32.  
  • Kuba Cwalina made a layup for Middlebury at 2:38, giving the Panthers a 32-29 edge. Neither team made a basket over the final two and a half minutes of the first half as the Panthers took the three-point edge into halftime.  
  • Middlebury pushed its lead to as many as nine points in the second half. A three from Cwalina at 9:43 gave Middlebury a 51-42 edge. The Panthers continued to lead by nine until the final seven minutes of the second half.  
  • Zhang started the MIT rally, hitting back-to-back three-pointers at 6:48 and 6:07 to turn a nine-point deficit into a three-point margin. Middlebury pushed its advantage back to eight with just 3:39 left in regulation, but Delgado-Gonzalez and Eric Wentz hit back-to-back threes at 3:05 and 2:34 to trim the deficit to two. MIT would take its first lead with just 36 seconds to play thanks to a jumper from Li. 
  • Li then secured a rebound on the final Middlebury possession before Delgado-Gonzalez made two free throws to give MIT a three-point edge, 68-65, with two seconds to play. Middlebury's final attempt from half court was off the mark as the Engineers held on for the victory. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:   

  • MIT was 12-for-29 from three shooting 41.4% while limiting Middlebury to 29.6% shooting on 8-of-27 attempts from deep.  
  • Middlebury had the lead for 39:02 of game time. 
  • MIT had a slight edge in rebounds, 32-30, but Middlebury outscored the Engineers 30-22 in the paint.  
  • Dylan Campbell had eight rebounds to lead MIT, his second time in as many games leading the Engineers on the glass.  
  • Li finished with seven points and a game-high five assists.  
  • Zhang was two points off his career-high, shooting 8-of-13 from the floor and 6-of-9 from three.  

UP NEXT:

  • MIT will play Maine Maritime in the Jim Beaudry Classic championship game tomorrow at 3:00 PM. The Engineers will be seeking MIT's first Jim Beaudry Classic tournament title in the program's first appearance in the event.  

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