WPI 72, MIT 55

Box Score  

Adam Lirette (Dover, NH) equaled his career-high with 17 points to help WPI defeat host MIT 72-55 in NEWMAC men's basketball action on Saturday afternoon at Rockwell Cage.  With the win, WPI clinches its sixth straight NEWMAC regular season title and earns a NEWMAC Tournament first round bye and the right to host semifinals and championship in two weeks. 

The game featured a pair of teams appearing in the latest NCAA Division III Northeast regional rankings.  Fourth-ranked WPI improves to 18-4 on the season and 9-1 in conference play, while ninth-ranked MIT dips to 16-8 overall and 7-4 in NEWMAC action. 

WPI scored the first seven points of the game and never trailed in the contest but it was not that easy.  After a pair of conventional 3-point plays from MIT's Billy Johnson (Everett, WA)  sliced the visitors advantage to 50-42, WPI embarked upon a 18-5 run to put the game out of reach. 

Lirrette, who also tallied 17 points in a win earlier this season at regionally ranked Rhode Island College, was joined in double figure by Jerome Kirkland (Boston, MA) and Jeffery Robinson (Granby, CT).  Kirkland tossed in 12 of his 16 points before intermission while Robinson collected 15, including a pair of 3-pointers.  Sophomore forward Ben Etten (Hollis, NH) led the visitors with four assists. 

WPI forced 20 MIT turnovers on the afternoon, while only committing 11 miscues, and parlayed them into 27 points off turnovers.  

Johnson paced MIT with game-bests of 20 points and nine rebounds.  Jamie Karraker (Morgantown, WV) poured in 14 points for the home-standing Engineers, including a trio of 3-pointers.  Bradley Gampel (Miami, FL) and Patrick Sissman (Baltimore, MD) dished out five and four assists respectively for the hosts.  MIT was without the services of consensus preseason All-American Jimmy Bartolotta (Littleton, CO), who missed the game due to injury.  

WPI will return home on Wednesday for its final home game of the regular season, hosting Wheaton at 7:30pm.  The game is a nightcap of a doubleheader with the WPI women (entertaining Babson at 5:30pm) and is part of PINK ZONE, which helps bring global awareness to breast cancer.  Admission is waived in lieu of a donation and there will be fun giveaways throughout the night.  MIT is also back in action on Wednesday, hosting Clark at 7pm in its regular season finale.