Game Preview: MIT vs. Curry

MIT vs. Curry College
Saturday, Curry College, 1pm

Live Stats

Probable Starters:

MIT (2-1)	Ht.	PPG	RPG		Curry (0-2)	Ht.	PPG	RPG
Matt Redfield	6'8"	11.7	9.3		Matthew Russell	6'7"	1.0	4.5
Andrew Acker	6'8"	7.7	10.0		A.J. Stephens	6'5"	7.5	3.0
Dennis Levene	6'8"	8.7	6.7		Lambros Papalambros	6'4"	18.0	4.0
Justin Pedley	6'6"	13.3	1.0		Antonio Jones	6'2"	4.0	1.5
Paul Dawson	5'10"	10.0	5.7 apg		Carlos Ribeiro	5'11"	2.5	2.5 apg

A Look at Curry College:
Curry College posted a 21-8 overall record last season, going 15-3 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference on their way to a conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. The Colonels fell to Middlebury by just two points in the 1st Round of the Tournament, as Middlebury advanced to the Elite 8.  

Curry is another fast, athletic team who wants to get out on the break and get to the basket. The Colonels are only averaging 4.5 assists per game and their wings, especially Papalambros, are primarily looking for one-on-one drives. Curry will look to post up 6'5" big-man A.J. Stephens, although as of game-day he is no longer listed on the roster (look for 6'4" Kenneth Ramos, the long and bouncy Freshman standout who had four dunks versus Brandeis, to take Stephens' place).

Curry is a very similar team to Bridgewater State, so the Engineers must do exactly the things they didn't do on Thursday night:
1) Take care of the basketball - 26 turnovers won't win any basketball games
2) Posts be more aggressive inside - with the Engineer's size and skill advantages down low, MIT's big-men must want to score every time down the court
3) Knock down shots - there is no other way to put it; MIT must hit their outside looks

MIT Falls to Bridgewater State

Box Score

MIT shot just 35.7% from the field, 21.4% from three, and committed 26 turnovers, falling to Bridgewater State University tonight 61-49 in Rockwell Cage. 49 points is the lowest point total the Engineers have produced since their 68-44 loss to Rhode Island College last season. It is also the first home loss for the Engineers since WPI upset nationally-ranked #3 MIT in 2011-2012.

Bridgewater State, although undersized at each position, appeared to be the aggressors in the match, diving for loose balls and setting the tone on the offensive and defensive ends. The Bears shot 40% from three while holding the Engineers to only two field goals through 19 minutes of the second half.

Dennis Levene scored 12 points and hauled in 14 rebounds in the loss (Pic: Tom Gearty)

6'8" Junior captains Matt Redfield and Dennis Levene both registered double-doubles on the night for MIT, combining for 25 points and 26 rebounds between the two. No other players reached double-figures for the Engineers.

MIT will head back to the drawing board Friday during practice, then will face last year's Commonwealth Coast Conference champions Curry College on Saturday at Curry.

MIT Basketball Featured in Boston Magazine

Check out the article here: http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2013/11/20/basketball-fans-cant-find-home-team-root-try-division-iii/

Game Preview: MIT vs. Bridgewater State

MIT vs. Bridgewater State University
Thursday, Rockwell Cage, 7pm

Live Stats | Video

Probable Starters:

MIT (2-0)	Ht.	PPG	RPG		BSU (0-2)	Ht.	PPG	RPG
Matt Redfield	6'8"	11.0	8.0		Michael Lofton	6'5"	17.0	7.5
Andrew Acker	6'8"	10.5	14.5		Kyle Gibson	6'4"	17.5	4.5
Dennis Levene	6'8"	7.0	3.0		Diijon Reid	6'2"	5.0	1.5
Justin Pedley	6'6"	16.0	1.0		Justin Clark	6'0"	5.5	2.5
Paul Dawson	5'10"	11.0	7.0 apg		Garey Allen	5'10"	7.5	3.5 apg

A Look at Bridgewater State:
Bridgewater State University brings back their top scorers from last year's team that finished in the middle of the pack of the MASCAC. The Bears were a dominant team from 2008-2011, with two MASCAC championships, three trips to the NCAA Tournament, and a Sweet 16 appearance.

Bridgewater is a fast, athletic team that will capitalize on their opponent's turnovers. They will get out on the break on offense and will look to get all the way to the rim. Their big men are highly skilled and highly active, looking to set ball picks and big-to-big screens in their 3-out-2-in motion offense. Defensively they implement an extremely aggressive half-court man-to-man defense. They apply pressure on the ball and look to deny entry to the wings and high posts.

The Engineers were able to take care of the ball consistently versus Gordon (only 10 turnovers), but will face much more pressure against Bridgewater. MIT must be prepared for double-teams on their post players down low, and be able to knock-down the outside shots.

Tech Takes Care of Gordon at Home

Box Score

The Engineers earned their second straight win of the early season tonight with a convincing 67-48 victory over CCC preseason favorites Gordon College in Rockwell Cage.

MIT, one of the biggest teams in the country, used their length on the defensive end (Pic: Tom Gearty)

Despite MIT's shooting woes from beyond the arc (the Engineers were 4-of-14 from three), MIT was able to convert inside the paint, shooting 52% from two. MIT also dominated the defensive end, holding the Fighting Scots to just 37.8% shooting and 2-of-20 from three while forcing 17 turnovers.

Dynamic point guard Paul Dawson led the Engineers while entertaining the crowd with some spectacular plays (Pic: Tom Gearty)

Junior point guard Paul Dawson led the way for the Engineers with a stellar 17-point, 8-assist, 4-steal, 3-rebound performance all while locking down Gordon's guards the full length of the court. He was also part of the play of the night, a cross-court alley-oop pass to 6'8" Matt Redfield, who then threw down it with authority. Redfield, who was the focus of Gordon's defense and was double- and triple-teamed the entire contest, put up 14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks.

Junior Andrew Acker has been unstoppable the first two games, averaging a double-double (Pic: Tom Gearty)

6'8" Junior Andrew Acker continued his domination on the boards, hauling in 11 rebounds while scoring 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting. 6'8" Junior Dennis Levene and 6'6" Sophomore Justin Pedley both pitched in 9 points for the win.

6'8" Matt Redfield, an All-Conference selection last season, flies above the rim for the alley-oop (Pic: Tom Gearty)

MIT faces Bridgewater State on Thursday at 7pm in Rockwell Cage.

Game Preview: MIT vs. Gordon

MIT vs. Gordon College
Tuesday, Rockwell Cage, 7pm

Live Stats | Video

Possible Starters:

MIT (1-0)	Ht.	PPG	RPG		Gordon (0-2)	Ht.	PPG	RPG
Matt Redfield	6'8"	8.0	10.0		Hans Miersma	6'9"	11.5	7.0
Andrew Acker	6'8"	9.0	18.0		Alex Carnes	6'4"	14.5	5.5
Dennis Levene	6'8"	5.0	2.0		Taylor Bajema	6'4"	11.5	5.5
Justin Pedley	6'6"	23.0	1.0		Luke Hamilton	6'3"	2.5	1.0
Paul Dawson	5'10"	5.0	6.0 apg		Park Thomas	6'0"	7.5	2.5 apg

A Look at Gordon College:
Gordon College, voted preseason favorites to win their conference, posted a 21-7 record last season, going 14-4 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference before falling in the conference championship game to Curry College. Gordon and MIT met each other last year in the Bennett Center at Gordon where the game was neck-and-neck the entire contest. MIT eventually earned the hard-fought 64-53 win.

With four guards in the starting lineup, Gordon likes to run a continuous motion offense with a 4-out-1-in set. With some size coming off the bench, notably 6'6" Jason Dempsey, Gordon will then move to 3-out-2-in offensive sets. Defensively Gordon prefers a half-court man-to-man strategy, and will most likely look to protect the paint with MIT's size. Look for MIT's shooters to take advantage of these opportunities.

Last Week at MIT...(11/17)

MIT Alum Wins Nobel Prize in Economics

President Obama Selects MIT Professor to Head Office of Science

MIT Technology Makes it Possible to "Be" Two Places at Once

Men's and Women's Soccer, Men's and Women's Cross Country Earn NCAA Bids

MIT Overpowers Lesley in Season Opener

Box Score

The MIT Engineers started the 2013-2014 campaign with a 68-52 win over Lesley University in Rockwell Cage Friday evening.

After the Lynx scored the opening basket, the Engineers responded by converting on the next four possessions, including a back-to-back dunk and three-pointer by Junior captain Dennis Levene. MIT never looked back for the rest of the contest, overpowering Lesley with their size while utilizing a balanced offensive attack both inside the paint and beyond the three. The Engineers led by as much as 27 points and out-rebounded Lesley 49-27, including 23 offensive boards.

Sophomore Justin Pedley (Pic: Tom Gearty)

Sophomore Justin Pedley led the way offensively, scorching the nets for 23 points on seven three-pointers. Junior captain Matt Redfield stuffed the stat sheet with 8 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals, and a put-back dunk on the night, while fellow captain Andrew Acker added 9 points and dominated the glass with a career-high 18 rebounds.

Freshman Dakota Pierce came off the bench to add 8 points and 4 rebounds in 17 minutes while Junior point guard Paul Dawson paced the Engineer’s offense dishing out 6 assists.

MIT takes on Gordon College next Tuesday at 7pm in Rockwell Cage.

Game Preview: MIT vs. Lesley University

MIT vs. Lesley University
Friday, Rockwell Cage, 7pm

Live Stats | Video

Possible Starters:

MIT (0-0)	Lesley (0-0)
Matt Redfield, Jr, 6'8"	Kris Bennett, Sr, 6'8"
Andrew Acker, Jr, 6'8"	Nikalus Oliver, Jr, 6'5"
Dennis Levene, Jr, 6'8"	Mike Kaufman, Sr, 6'2"
Justin Pedley, So, 6'6"	Max McCoy, Fr, 6'0"
Paul Dawson, Jr, 5'10"	Justin Rosa, Jr, 6'0"

A Look at Lesley University:
The Lesley Lynx posted a 7-9 conference record last season with solid wins over Regis, Daniel Webster, and Southern Vermont. They suffered a 1-point loss to Gordon College, runners up in the Commonwealth Coast Conference.

Friday marks the first game of the 2013-2014 season as well for the Lynx. They faced Franklin Pierce University, a Division II team that made it to the Elite 8 last season, on Tuesday in an exhibition game.

Lesley likes to push the ball in transition, looking to get to the rim or kick out for the open three. In the half-court, Lesley has shown a 4-around-1 motion offense with a heavy emphasis on dribble penetration. The Engineers will have to contain Lesley's transition offense and clog the lane with their length.

Poor Shooting Plagues MIT in Preseason Tuneup

The Engineers shot just 28% from the field to go along with 29 turnovers in their preseason exhibition tuneup versus Division I Harvard University tonight, falling to the Crimson 79-37.

Point guard Paul Dawson drives against Siyani Chambers (Photo: Tom Gearty) 

Harvard, last year's Ivy League champions, brought back nearly their entire squad from their 2012-2013 NCAA Tourney team, and added seniors Kyle Casey and Brandyn Curry, who were sidelined last season, to the mix. Harvard shot 46% from the field and won the rebounding battle 37-33.

Junior captain Matt Redfield was one rebound away from a double-double (Photo: Tom Gearty)

Although MIT certainly found the areas they need to improve on, the young Engineers got a glimpse of some of the weapons they have in store. High-flying 6'8" junior captain Matt Redfield, an All-Conference selection last year, led the Engineers with 14 points and 9 rebounds. Redfield comes into the season coming off a standout Sophomore campaign, posting a 59.5% FG% (3rd all-time in MIT history), 49 blocks (3rd all-time), and 26 dunks (unofficially 1st all-time).

MIT also showed how bright the future might be, with solid play from the freshman trio of 6'10" Tim Higgins, 6'8" Tim Butala, and 6'3" guard Dakota Pierce. Pierce showed his sweet stroke and his ability to get to the basket, while the "Big Tims" were a presence in the paint on both the offensive and defensive ends.

Freshman Dakota Pierce takes it to the hoop over Harvard's Jonah Travis

"We played a really good and well-coached team," Head Coach Larry Anderson said after the exhibition. "It provided us with the opportunity to measure where we are as individuals and, more importantly, where we are as a team."

"I like where we are at right now even though we understand that we have a lot to do."

The Engineers tip off the 2013-2014 season on Friday vs. Lesley University at Rockwell Cage.

Box Score