Sports

Men’s basketball starts season with 91-61 win

Seizing the lead in the first 5 minutes, MIT never looked back in game vs. Emmanuel

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Arni A. Lehto ’12 (#20) tries to drive in against an Emmanuel College defender in the men’s basketball season opener on Tuesday. MIT won 91-61.
Minh Phan

Noel Hollingsworth ’12 had 18 points as the MIT men’s basketball team opened its 2010-11 campaign with a convincing 91-61 win over Emmanuel College on Tuesday night in Rockwell Cage. Mitchell H. Kates ’13 and James D. “Jamie” Karraker ’12 each chipped in with 17 points for the Engineers, who debuted at No. 15 in the national preseason rankings.

The Cardinal and Gray jumped out to a quick lead, scoring the game’s first six points and taking a 12-4 lead just over five minutes in, prompting a pair of timeouts by the visitors. Emmanuel pulled back within three, but MIT quickly responded with a 14-2 run over the next 3:41 to open up a 15-point advantage. Eric Zuk capped the run with a tremendous hustle play, stealing the ball at midcourt, grabbing a rebound at the offensive end and finding Kates for a driving score. Kates scored nine of Tech’s 14 points during the spurt.

MIT continued to pull away late in the half and into the second stanza, with the lead growing to as many as 34 at one point. The Engineers had a 19-7 stretch to end the half that was punctuated with a three-pointer from Karraker, one of his four on the night.

Neither squad was immune to early season mental lapses, as the teams combined to commit 59 fouls and turn the ball over 54 times. MIT was able to capitalize on the Emmanuel miscues, scoring 35 of its 91 points off of turnovers.

Hollingsworth added five rebounds and two blocks while Kates had six assists. William F. Dickson ’14 scored eight points to go along with seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks in his debut. William Tashman ’13 also contributed eight points and seven boards, to help the Cardinal and Gray to a 51-36 edge on the glass.

MIT will take to the road for its next game, traveling to Framingham State on Saturday, November 20 for a 1 p.m. contest.