After a close first half, a strong effort by MIT's three starting sophomores propelled the Engineers to victory this evening over the United States Coast Guard Academy. MIT was led in scoring by sophomore point guard Mitchell Kates, who poured in 27 points on 9-14 shooting (3-5 from 3), adding 6 assists and only 1 turnover. Also excelling was sophomore forward Will Tashman, who scored 26 points on 10-13 from the field, while grabbing 11 rebounds. The sophomore trifecta was rounded out by Jamie Karraker, who finished the evening with an uber-efficient 6-8 shooting performance, including 5-6 from 3, on his way to 17 points. Billy Bender played strong off the bench for the Engineers, contributing 11 points (3-4 FGs), 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. As a team, MIT shot an astounding 60% from the field, including 60% from 3 (9-15), in addition to being nearly perfect at the free throw line (16-17). MIT also controlled the boards, limiting the USCGA to just 18 rebounds on the evening, for a +12 margin.
The game boxscore and full story can be found at the official MIT Athletics website.
With the win, MIT pulls into sole posession of 2nd place in the NEWMAC, trailing only WPI. Therefore, the matchup this Saturday at Rockwell cage has added significance for both teams. MIT will look to draw within just a game of WPI in the NEWMAC standings, and split the season series, while WPI will look to all but seal up the NEWMAC regular season crown. Tip is set for 3:00 PM.
