CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Sophomore Mitchell Kates had 17 of his game-high 27 points in the second half while classmate Will Tashman had 18 of his game-high 26 points in the first half leading MIT to an 85-66 win over Coast Guard in the battle for second place in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC).
MIT and Coast Guard both entered the evening tied for second place with 3-2 conference records. The Engineers improve to 14-5 overall and 4-2 in conference play while the Bears drop to 8-9 overall and 3-3 in the NEWMAC.
Junior Jamie Karraker was five for six from 3-point range and finished with 17 points for the Engineers who shot 60 percent from the field (30-50) while making nine of 15 from behind the arc. The Bears also shot well as they finished 23-47 from the floor (48.9 percent).
Kates was nine for 13 from the floor and three for five from 3-point range while Tashman was 10 for 13 from the field.
MIT shot a sizzling 62.1 percent from the floor (18-29) in the first half while making six of ten from 3-point range. Coast Guard shot 48.4 percent in the opening half (15-31).
The Engineers scored the first eight points of the second half, as part of a 17-0 run before and after the intermission, to take a 54-40 lead with 17:50 left in the game. Coast Guard would get as close as nine points at 58-49 with 13:41 left before Tech pulled away down the stretch.
Freshman Devonte Weems led Coast Guard with 18 points on seven of 12 shooting and a team-high five rebounds while senior Jevon James had 14 points and sophomore Ed Gailor finished with 11 points for the Bears.
Gailor's 3-pointer gave Coast Guard, which led 5-0, a 10-7 lead with 15:35 left in the first half before MIT used a 10-2 spurt for a 17-12 lead with 13:54 left.
The Engineers pushed the lead to 11 at 30-19 with 10:29 left following an old fashion 3-point play from sophomore Will Tashman before the Bears scored eight straight to make the score 30-27 with 7:45 left in the half.
Coast Guard regained the lead 40-37 on a trey by Gailor with three minutes left in the half before MIT ran off the final nine points of the half, including a put back at the buzzer by Tashman, who had 18 points in the first half, and MIT led 46-40 at the break.
The Engineers will host first-place WPI on Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. while Coast Guard welcomes Babson College on Saturday also at 3:00 p.m.