A balanced scoring effort was enough for MIT to edge out a NEWMAC victory this evening in Babson Park, 63-60. In addition to the usual suspects of Will Tashman (18 points, 8 rebounds), Mitch Kates (11 points, 8 assists), and Jamie Karraker (6 points, 2-2 3FG), MIT received solid contributions from freshmen Will Dickson (10 points) and Nick Davis (7 points), in addition to junior swingman Billy Bender (9 points).
The game was close throughout most of the first half, until a 16-6 MIT run over the final 6:18 gave the Engineers a 10 point lead at intermission. Behind strong play from Dickson and Kates, MIT pushed the lead to 16 with just under 13.5 minutes remaining in the game. Babson would not be discouraged, however, as they systematically chipped away at the lead, cutting it to as little as 2 points in the final minute. On the last possession of the game, MIT was able to preserve the victory with a strong defensive possession, forcing Babson into an errant three-point attempt.
A full game writeup can be found on the official MIT Athletics website.
MIT has this Saturday off, but travels next Wednesday to face Clark in a 7:00 PM contest. With just 4 games remaining in the regular season, MIT is in the drivers seat for the #2 seed in the NEWMAC tourney. The Engineers are currently tied with Springfield for second in the league, with a 5-3 mark, but currently hold the tiebreaker due to their head-to-head victory.
