MIT Men's Basketball

Eager to respond after four straight losses, MIT jumped out to the early lead. Freshman Adam Gibbons and sophomore Andrew Tsai got the Engineers going with hot shooting from the behind the arc. Tsai hit 2 three-pointers and converted fast break layup off a steal and assist from freshman Danny Kanamori, to give the Engineers a 17-7 lead. However, after a timeout, Wheaton responded with a 10-0 spurt of its own to tie the game. Freshman Eli Sheets came off the bench to get the Engineers going on as he hit a three-pointer to break the dry spell. With the score tied at 28, the Engineers went on a 17-5 run to close the half as junior Neal Brenner also hit several mid-range jumpers during that stretch, along with easy interior baskets from sophomore Kyle Doherty and freshman Mike Huhs. MIT led at halftime 45-33.

Gibbons gave the Engineers a brief cushin with two more three-pointers, but Wheaton stormed back in the second half, eventually tying the game at 53 apiece with 10:18 to play. Playing without an injured Doherty, the Engineers received inspired play from junior forward Boris Paskalev who dominated the glass on both ends. The Engineers held a 57-56 edge with 7:17 to play and then exploded for a 15-6 run and 72-62 lead with 2:30 remaining, thanks to a trio of three-point buckets from Tsai, extending the lead to 72-62 with 2:30 remaining. Wheaton made it interesting, reeling off seven straight unanswered points to close the gap to 72-69 with 0:46 remaining, but Kanamori drained six straight free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.