Game Preview: MIT vs. Tufts University

MIT vs. Tufts University
Tuesday, Cousens Complex at Tufts, 7pm

Live Stats | Video

Probable Starters:

MIT (3-1)	Ht.	PPG	RPG		Tufts (4-1)	Ht.	PPG	RPG
Matt Redfield	6'8"	15.5	10.2		Hunter Sabety	6'8"	15.8	7.6
Andrew Acker	6'8"	7.5	8.0		Tommy Folliard	6'7"	14.4	4.2
Dennis Levene	6'8"	7.0	5.5		Stephen Haladyna	6'5"	12.2	3.6
Justin Pedley	6'6"	15.2	1.0		Oliver Cohen	6'2"	7.4	4.6 apg
Paul Dawson	5'10"	9.0	5.0 apg		Kwame Firemprong	6'0"	14.2	4.2 apg

A Look at Tufts:
Tufts University had a 17-9 overall record last season and went 7-3 in the NESCAC before losing to nationally-ranked #2 Amherst in the conference semi-finals. Tufts is currently off to a 4-1 start.

The Tufts Jumbos are averaging 90 points per game thus far this season, looking for early offense with a numbers advantage or a quick three. In the half-court they implement a 4-around-1 set, utilizing 6'8" Freshman big-man Hunter Sabety. They will work an inside-out game, and shoot very well from the outside (Tufts was the top three-point shooting team in the NESCAC last season and had the highest free-throw percentage).

MIT and Tufts present very similar lineups and are evenly matched in a number of positions. The Engineers will have to protect the paint down low while being able to get a high-hand out on the Jumbos' shooters. Tufts owns a +4 rebounding edge versus opponents, so MIT must use their size to counteract the Jumbos' ability to crash the glass.

Check out highlights from when the Engineers last met the Jumbos at Tufts (2011-2012):

Engineers Triumph Over Curry

Box Score

MIT got back to their winning ways this afternoon with a hard-fought 69-62 win over last year's CCC champions Curry College.

The Engineers, leading by as much as 17 points, allowed Curry to creep back into the game late in the second half. MIT was able to execute down the stretch, however, to earn their 3rd win of the season.

The Engineers held a 17-point lead with 17 minutes to go (Pic: MITHoops.NET)

6'8" Junior captain Matt Redfield dominated the game scoring 27 points with 13 rebounds, 5 blocks, 3 assists, 2 dunks and a steal. 6'6" sharp-shooter Justin Pedley nailed 5 three-pointers en route to a 21-point performance.

On the defensive end, 6'6" sophomore Russell Johnson led the way with 5 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals while holding Curry's leading scorer to only three field goals. Junior Paul Dawson was the floor general both offensively and defensively for the Engineers, pitching in 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists.

MIT travels down the road to Tufts University to face off with the Jumbos next Tuesday at 7pm.

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.