Strong Defensive Effort Sparks Men's Basketball to 62-54 Win at Trinity
Kyle Nadeau
WPI 62, Trinity 54
Hartford, CT --- Sophomore guard Kyle Nadeau (Webster, MA) hit a clutch three-pointer late in the second half, one of his three on the night, to lead men's basketball to a 62-54 win over Trinity in nonconference men's basketball action on Tuesday evening. The Engineers improve to 11-3 on the season.
Both teams average 72.6 points per game on the season, however this matchup of NCAA Division III Tournament teams from a year ago was a low-scoring affair, as stingy defense and turnovers made it difficult for each team to get their offense going. The game was tight throughout, featuring nine ties and five lead changes.
Scoring proved difficult for both teams early, as they combined for just two field goals in the first five minutes of the game. WPI fell behind 8-2 with 12:38 left in the half before they were able to jumpstart their attack. The WPI bench was key in helping the Engineers overcome the early scoring drought, accounting for 15 points in the first half - seven by Fernando Perez (Lowell, MA).
Trinity (3-8) took the lead back late in the first half, and maintained their lead for the first six minutes after halftime. WPI took their first second half lead at 38-36 on a three from Jeffrey Robinson (Granby, CT) with 14:16 to go. Robinson led the Engineers with 12 points off the bench, all coming in the second half.
Tied once again at 47-47 with 6:58 to go, the Engineers went on an 8-0 run over the next 4:36 to pull away for the win.
Trinity was led by sophomore forward Luke MacDougall (Baldwinsville, NY) who had a game-high 19 points. MacDougall also added five rebounds and three steals, and was 8-for-9 from the line. Brian Ford (Bronx, NY) and Salah Abdo (Chelsea, MA) each added nine for the Bantams.
The Engineers return home this Saturday to take on city rival Clark (8-5) at 2pm in Harrington Auditorium. It will be a matchup of two teams with unblemished records in NEWMAC action, as each is currently 2-0 in the conference.
Story by Ray Cotrufo - WPI Athletics
Some content provided by Trinity College Sports Information