Worcester, MA --- The WPI men's basketball team faced a stiff test in its regular season finale as Worcester rival Clark wouldn't relent, taking the lead twice in the second half and keeping it a single-possession game into the final minute before Domenick Mastascusa (North Reading, MA) put it away out of a timeout with 53 seconds left as WPI held on for a 65-60 victory on Senior Night at Clark's Kneller Center.
Mastascusa racked up a double-double, tallying 16 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks, whileSam Longwell (Acton, MA) joined in with 22 points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals. The two combined to go 13-of-18 from the field as the visiting Engineers shot 51.3% from the field and made 19-of-21 free throws.
The win clinched the outright NEWMAC regular season title for WPI (22-3, 12-2) for the sixth time in the last 11 years. The Engineers clinched at least a share of the title and the No. 1 seed in the NEWMAC Tournament with a Wednesday win over Wheaton, marking the ninth time in the last 11 years on both accounts.
WPI will be the NEWMAC Tournament host and will face the winner of the MIT-Emerson first round game at Harrington Auditorium at 1pm Saturday.
Ranked No. 12 nationally in the latest D3hoops.com poll, WPI amassed the most wins (12) in NEWMAC regular season history as the conference schedule expanded from 12 games to 14 with the addition of Emerson this season.
The Cougars (12-13, 3-11) trotted out four determined seniors for their final game. Nicholas DaPrato (Marshfield, MA) led Clark with 20 points, including four 3-pointers, while classmateAndrew Musler (Belmont, MA) chipped in 12 points and 8 rebounds. Marcus Armstrong(Malden, MA), who pulled in 7 rebounds, and Jake Gubitose (Fiskdale, MA) were the other two Clark seniors.
The hosts chipped away at a 33-24 Engineers halftime lead, eventually going ahead, 46-45, on an Armstrong layup with 9:06 left for his only basket of the game. Longwell responded with a jumper for WPI just 19 seconds later, but a layup from David Mercier (Milford, MA) made it 48-47 Clark with 7:40 left.
Longwell again responded on the ensuing WPI possession, and hit another jumper before a five-point spurt from Zach Karalis (North Andover, MA) that gave the Engineers a 56-50 advantage with under four minutes remaining.
That gave Karalis 12 points before he fouled out seconds later with 3:26 left.
Clark freshman Lucas LaLima (Colts Neck, NJ) nailed a 3 to draw it back to a single-possession game, 58-55 with 2:22 left.
Engineers frosh Marcus Middleton (Stoughton, MA) had a transition 3-point play and Longwell hit two free throws, both in the final 13 seconds to seal the result.
WPI never trailed in the first half, scoring seven straight points early on via Longwell, Karalis and Mastascusa after Musler had pulled it close, 5-4. The Engineers kept it going, rallying for a 15-1 stretch over a stretch of 5:01. That spotted the visitors a 20-5 lead off a Mastascusa 3 with 11:26 left in the first half.
That was WPI's largest advantage as DaPrato came back with five straight points, pulling it back to 20-10 two minutes later.
Longwell went a perfect 4-of-4 from the field in a big first half that included two 3s as he had 12 points, five assists and four rebounds at the intermission.
Sean Doncaster (Medford, MA) had 7 points for WPI and went 4-of-4 at the line to contribute to the Engineers stellar afternoon at the stripe.
Meanwhile, Tyler Huffman (Hartford, CT) finished with 8 points for the Cougars.
Release by Carl Setterlund - WPI Athletics Intern - Emerson '14