CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Senior Jamie Karraker (Morgantown, W. Va.) set a new Institute record, making nine three-point field goals en route to a career-high 27 points, as the nationally-ranked No. 7 MIT men's basketball team cruised to a 90-47 win over UMass-Boston in non-conference action Tuesday night. The Engineers, who have now won three straight by at least 40 points and are outscoring their opponents by 31 points per game, improved to 9-0 on the season, the second best start in program history.
The Cardinal and Gray shot over 55% from the field (32-58) and connected on 12 shots from long range. Senior Noel Hollingsworth (Salt Lake City, Utah) finished with 20 points to go along with five assists and four rebounds while senior Billy Bender (The Woodlands, Texas) also finished in double figures with 13.
After the teams traded buckets to begin the game, the Engineers canned trifectas on four straight possessions with Karraker draining three shots, to lead 14-4 just 3:30 into the contest. After a pair of free throws by freshman Vinny DeLucia (Miami, Fla.) made it 16-6, MIT would score the game's next 16 points to take a commanding 32-6 lead at the 12 minute mark.
The Beacons (4-5) did not hit the 10 point mark until DeLucia's three-ball with just over six minutes to go in the half and trailed 51-19 at the break.
UMass-Boston scored on three straight possessions early in the second, to cut the gap to 52-25, but that would be the extent of the host's offensive momentum. At one point during the second stanza, the Cardinal and Gray reeled off 14 straight points, pushing its advantage beyond the 40-point plateau.
Three different Engineers recorded five assists, as Hollingsworth, Bender and junior Mitchell Kates (Colts Neck, N.J.) contributed to MIT's total of 27 helpers, just three shy of the program record. Junior Will Tashman (Atherton, Calif.) paced the squad with 11 rebounds,
Tech controlled the glass all evening, outrebounding the Beacons, 41-28, and grabbing 14 offensive boards despite missing just 26 field goals.
Cody Edmond (Plaquemine, La.) led the hosts with 12 points on four-of-six shooting while DeLucia contributed nine for the youthful Beacons, who started four freshmen and have just one senior on their roster.
MIT will return home on Thursday, December 8 to host Salem State University at 7:00 p.m. in Rockwell Cage. The Vikings are receiving votes in this week's D3Hoops Top 25 and present one of the stiffest tests for MIT thus far in 2011-12. UMass-Boston hosts Lesley University on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. also.