Tag Archives: MIT Men’s Basketball

Dec 4 2012

Mass. College Hoops: Div. III Men’s Basketball Rankings

By NoontimeSports.com 

The Div. III college basketball season is in full swing, and below is our first official men’s poll of the season.

Do you agree with our rankings? If not, send us an email to NoontimeSports@gmail.com or contact us on Twitter (@NoontimeSports or @NoonSportsBlog).

1.) Amherst College (5-1) – The Lord Jeffs might indeed be the best squad in the state, but a loss to Springfield College, an honorable mention, proves the purple and white are beatable. The schedule doesn’t get easy for David Hixon’s bunch, as they’ll face Brandeis, Babson and Emmanuel this week.

2.) MIT (6-1) – Despite being the number one team in the country to kickoff the season, the Engineers came down to earth last week with a tough loss to Rhode Island College. However, they rebounded with a victory against Newbury College at home last weekend. Larry Anderson and his Engineers can regain their early season momentum by picking up wins this week.

3.) WPI (7-0) – The Engineers squeaked out a non-conference overtime victory on the road Saturday against Husson. This week, WPI will face Fitchburg State, Rhode Island College and Salem State, which will be telling signs of where this unit is headed.

4.) Westfield State (6-0) – Rich Sutter’s squad is on a roll. The Owls remain the top squad in the MASCAC and have picked up wins against Elms, Regis and Springfield. Keep your eyes on Lee Vasquez, who currently leads the squad with 99 points.  

5.) Brandeis (5-1) – After dropping their first game of the season, the Judges have won five straight. Their only setback came against Rhode Island College, a squad that’s receiving a good chunk of votes on the D3Hoops.com poll. Brian Meehan’s squad will play four of their next five contests on the road, which won’t be easy.

Honorable Mentions: Curry College, Springfield College, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Wheaton College, Williams College, Worcester State, UMass Boston

Feb 26 2012

NEWMAC Men’s Final Recap: MIT 65, Springfield College 60

By Hayden Bird

CAMBRIDGE, MA – For the second year in a row, the MIT Engineers stand alone atop the NEWMAC men’s basketball pyramid, winning the conference final against the Springfield College Pride, 65-60.

The game began poorly for the Engineers, as they had to work hard for any points. Their problems were compounded by the continued excellent play from Springfield junior Alex Berthiaume.

MIT recovered during the middle period of the first half, tying the game at 15 before gaining their first lead of the day on a three-pointer from junior Mitchell Kates, which was prophetic of future events.

The Engineers were keyed by some plain talk afterward from head coach Larry Anderson.

“We wanted to come here and exceed their intensity level,” noted Anderson. “We knew Springfield would bring that because all of us want to get to the dance.”

He was adamant that senior Billy Bender pick up his play, and sure enough Bender jumpstarted a late first half run by the Engineers with three steals in just under a minute and a half of play.

“Springfield started to get a little predictable,” said Bender. “So I could read their passes a little bit.”

That keyed a 17-4 run by MIT to close out the first half, where they led, 37-27.

The second half didn’t initially see things pick up for Springfield either, as MIT padded their lead, which at one point stood at 14 points.

Yet the Pride showed the kind of resiliency that got them to the NEWMAC championship in the first place. Chipping away at MIT’s advantage one basket at a time, they narrowed the margin before miraculously taking a 54-53 lead with five minutes to go.

Asked if he was surprised at Springfield’s resolve, Bender wasn’t.

“Last time we played Springfield, we were up 14 at halftime. They came back all the way and tied the game,” said Bender. “We have had a lot of games like that.”

And the Engineers certainly didn’t panic, especially their go-to guard, Mitchell Kates.

It was Kates who made several key plays, including the layup that broke the 55-55 deadlock.

“I just kind of found a lane,” said Kates. “And Springfield, I knew they weren’t going to go away.”

True to form, Springfield did not go away, taking the lead again with less than two minutes to go.

Yet in clutch time, Kates stepped up once again.

“I love the way he’s grown since his freshman year,” Anderson said of Kates play. “Not just as a basketball player, but as a leader.”

Finishing with a team-high 24 points and six assists, Kates was named tournament MVP. Kates’ ten second half points loomed large, because along with seniors Noel Hollingsworth and Jamie Karraker, they accounted for nearly all of MIT’s clutch-time scoring.

And though it was Berthiaume who finished with a game-high 25 points in another impressive display, MIT won the game 65-60 behind a more composed team effort.

Feb 16 2012

Mass College Hoops Recap: MIT 71, WPI 66

By Matt Noonan 

WORCESTER, MA – This particular meeting didn’t exactly mirror the encounter in Cambridge a few weeks ago, as No. 3 MIT overcame a four-point deficit at halftime to defeat WPI, 71-66.

The Engineers used a 19-0 second half run, as well as some clutch free throws from senior Billy Bender, (12 points) during the final seconds of regulation to preserve his team’s 23rd regular season victory, along with a series split with WPI.

“They made it a little bit closer than we wanted, but I had faith in our starting-five, and even the guys on our bench to close out [this game], and make free throws when it [mattered], and Bender knocked them down when he needed to,” said junior Will Tashman, who finished the game with 20 points and 12 rebounds.

MIT didn’t exactly endure the greatest start, as various turnovers and missed shots allowed WPI to produce a small lead with two layups from senior David Brown, (13 points), which gave the home squad a 17-14 advantage at 8:37.

However, the road team answered on the ensuing possession with a jump shot by senior Noel Hollingsworth, (21 points, seven rebounds) which led to a few minutes of back and fourth basketball until sophomore Ryan Kolb sparked WPI’s offense with a trifecta.

Freshman Marco Coppola, (16 points) knocked down a three-pointer on the following offensive possession before junior Jameel Galloway ended the half with one free throw that gave WPI a 35-31 cushion at the break.

“We really struggled [in the first half],” said junior Mitchell Kates, who turned in 11 points and six rebounds. “At halftime we talked about what we had to do differently, and a bunch of guys picked me up and we said, one of the main things we have to do is to get up and down the court, get some transition going, and that’s what we did.”

Kates and his teammates executed their halftime strategy perfectly, as he sparked MIT’s exciting run with a few layups, which were followed up with some points from Tashman and Hollingsworth, as well as a three-pointer by Bender.

“We just brought a little more energy in the second half,” said Tashman. “Noel and I got a couple of easy looks in transition right over the top, and a couple layups always helps your confidence, so that got us going.”

WPI’s offense struggled to register a single point during their opponent’s five minute offensive stampede, but managed to tally a three-point play at 12:55 when senior Matt Carr recorded a layup and free throw.

Brown and Coppola complimented Carr’s offensive effort by helping WPI rally with various shots and free throws, which pulled the home team within six points of MIT, 66-60.

Although, a few offensive miscues during the final two minutes, allowed Bender to secure MIT’s 11th conference win when he sank a pair of free throws with six seconds remaining on the clock before Coppola ended the game with a layup.

MIT will return to the hardwood on Sat. Feb 25, when they host a semi-final NEWMAC tournament match, while WPI will return to Harrington Auditorium for the final team this season when they host Clark University for a 3:00pm tip-off.

“We’ll make the most of the layoff though. We’ll scrimmage in practice, and we’ll be ready for the tournament,” said Kates.

Jan 24 2012

Massachusetts College Basketball: Men’s Top-5 Poll Updated

By NoontimeSports.com 

1.) MIT (Last Week/No. 1) – Despite dropping their first contest of the season to rival WPI, the Engineers still remain the top-squad in our men’s Top-5 poll. However, they’ll certainly need to rebound this week, especially against Clark University and the U.S. Coast Guard at home. 

2.) Amherst College (Last Week/No. 2) – The Lord Jeffs appear to be peaking at the right time, as they’ve won two consecutive road games. They’ll continue their four-game swing on Wednesday when they travel to the Berkshires to face Williams College.

3.) WPI (Last Week/No. 4) – The Engineers earned an enormous road victory this past weekend, as they defeated MIT in Cambridge, 80-68. WPI will look to build off their convince win at Springfield College on Wednesday.

4.) Williams College (Last Week/No. 3) – Earlier this month, the Ephs struggled, and lost two games to Tufts University and Wesleyan University. However, the men who sport the words, “Williams” across their chest have rebounded quite well, as they’ve won three of their last four contests, which included an 82-61 victory this past Sunday against Hamilton College.

5.) Tufts University (Last Week/No. 5) – Bob Sheldon’s squad is currently residing in second place, and will want to earn a “W” on Saturday when they host Bowdoin College, who is also 4-2 in conference play. The Jumbos have won two of their last three contests, along with three consecutive home games, too.

Jan 20 2012

Massachusetts College Basketball: Men’s Top-5 Poll Updated

Can Larry Anderson's MIT men's basketball team keep their perfect record intact on Saturday against WPI? (Photo Credit: ESPN)

By NoontimeSports.com 

1.) MIT (Last Week/No. 1) – The Engineers can pick up their 17th win of the season, as well as fifth conference victory on Saturday, when they welcome WPI to Rockwell Cage in Cambridge. MIT hasn’t played a game since last weekend when they defeated Babson College on the road, 72-63, so it’ll be interesting to see how Larry Anderson’s team responds from a week off of games.

2.) Amherst College (Last Week/No. 2) – Despite losing by one point to Wesleyan this past week, the Lord Jeffs will look to rebound on Friday and Saturday, as they travel to Maine to face Bowdoin College and Colby College. Also, Aaron Toomey was held to just 11 points and four rebounds against the Cardinals on Tuesday, which is rather unusual numbers for the sophomore guard, hint…hint!

3.) Williams College (Last Week/No. 4) – Similar to Amherst, Williams lost to Wesleyan this season, but is currently riding a two-game winning streak. The Ephs will enjoy two days of rest before welcoming Hamilton College to Williamstown on Sunday for an afternoon matinee, which should end with a win for the men dressed in purple and white.

4.) WPI (Last Week/No. 3) – Despite losing to Wheaton College at home last weekend, the Engineers responded this past week with a crucial conference win against Clark University. Saturday’s tilt against MIT could possibly determine the NEWMAC men’s basketball conference winner, as well as tournament host, too. Yet, both squads will meet again in February, so let’s not count our chickens before they hatch, right?

5.) Tufts University (Last Week/No. 5) – The Jumbos finally earned their first home victory of the season last Friday, as well as two additional win against Colby and Suffolk University. Tufts will begin a three-game road swing on Friday when they travel to Wesleyan, who recently handed Amherst their second loss of the season.