Basketball keeps up their winning streak Engineers now 7-1 for the season
Minh Phan—The Tech
The MIT men’s basketball squad, ranked 21st in the nation (out of over 400 teams), extended their winning streak to six games with a 92-68 win over UMass-Boston Tuesday night in Rockwell Cage.
The Engineers jumped out to an early 15-2 lead within the first five minutes of play thanks to a hot start by Eric S. Zuk ’11, who nailed the second of his pair of free throws, found James D. “Jamie” Karraker ’12 for a three next time down the court, then stole the ball for a lay-in on the following possession. The remainder of the first half saw high and balanced production from a number of Engineers, as they shot 57 percent from the field during the first 20 minutes and leading their opponents 40-15 at one point.
The second half was all Nicholas A. Davis ’14. The freshman scored 23 of his 29 points in the second frame, going 12-for-13 from the field, including a pair of threes, acrobatic lay-ins, and a thunderous put-back dunk on top of a Beacon defender that got Rockwell roaring. “It was great to see Nick show what he’s capable of doing,” said Head Coach Larry Anderson after the game. “I’ve been extremely impressed with our guys’ work ethic so far this season, and hope we continue to get more focused and more prepared as the season continues.”
All-American Noel Hollingsworth ’12 poured in 16 points in 17 minutes, as he continues to work back into the lineup after recovering from injury. Last season’s Northeastern US Rookie of the Year, Mitchell Kates ’13, dished out 5 assists in the win while Will Tashman ’12, who earned Conference Player of the Week honors, brought down a game-high 11 rebounds. Billy Bender ’12 also continued his blistering 53 percent shooting from beyond the arc, nailing a pair of threes along with two assists in the win.
The Engineers improve their record to 7-1 and will visit Salem State College on Thursday night and Lesley University Saturday.