THE BASICS:

- Records: No. 12 MIT (17-2, 7-1 NEWMAC); Emerson (9-10, 3-5 NEWMAC)

- Score: No. 12 MIT 77, Emerson 51

- Location: Boston, Mass. (Brown & Plofker Gym)

- The Lead: Led by a season-high 27-point effort from junior Bradley Jomard (Paris, France), the No. 12 ranked MIT men's basketball team remained tied atop the NEWMAC standings with a 77-51 road win at Emerson College on Saturday afternoon. The Engineers are now a perfect 9-0 on the road in 2017-18.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

- Geoff Gray gave Emerson an early 2-0 advantage with a layup off the opening tip, but the Engineers quickly took control of the period. After a John Geary free throw made it 4-3 in favor of MIT, the Engineers embarked on a 9-0 run and seized the 13-3 advantage after a free throw line jumper by junior AJ Jurko (Weston, Fla.). Corey Fitz ended the run at the 13:24 mark on a tip-in, but the visitors continued to add to the lead that swelled to 24-9 after a runner from Jomard with 6:39 on the clock.

- Behind 44.4 percent shooting in the first period and 11 forced turnovers, the Engineers took a 32-14 lead into halftime as Jurko and Jomard each finished the half with eight points.

- Junior Tim Roberts (Oak Bluffs, Mass.) scored on a putback, his third of the game, to push MIT its largest lead to that point at 37-15 with 17:42 remaining. A three-point play by Gray just moments later gave the Lions their first field goal in nearly six minutes, cutting the edge to 37-18.

- A three from Geary pulled the Lions within 45-30 with 12:38 left, but after a pair of free throws by freshman Hamilton Forsythe (Weston, Conn.) it was MIT that maintained a comfortable 47-32 lead at the midway point. The Lions fought back hard and cut the MIT lead to 52-42 following a corner three from Fitz, followed by an Engineers timeout with under five remaining. Four points by Jomard keyed a quick 6-0 scoring run by MIT to stretch the advantage back to 16 with 3:18 left before Geary drained another three from the corner to make it a 58-45 margin.

- Over the final 1:40, the Engineers knocked down 14 free throws as the Lions continued to foul trailing by nearly 20. For the game, MIT was 25-for-34 from the line while Emerson converted 8-of-13 free throw opportunities.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

- In addition to the advantage at the free throw line, MIT held a significant 39-27 edge in rebounds and a 14-4 lead in points off turnovers. Both teams struggled from three-point land, while MIT shot 44.4 percent and Emerson 41.3 percent overall from the field.

- Jomard led all players with 27 points to go along with eight rebounds, including six defensive boards and three assists. Junior Cameron Korb (Los Gatos, Calif.) posted 14 points, while Jurko added 11.

- For Emerson, Gray finished with 22 points, nine rebounds and three assists before fouling out late. Geary also finished in double figures with 10 points as he was 3-for-3 from three-point land.

- MIT now holds a 28-3 advantage over the Lions in the all-time series as the Engineers have now won four straight over Emerson. 

UP NEXT:

- MIT returns to action on Wednesday, January 31st as the Engineers host Babson College for an 8 p.m. start at Rockwell Cage. The game is part of a doubleheader as the MIT women's basketball team hosts Wellesley College at 6 p.m.

STAY CONNECTED:

- For the latest on MIT Athletics, follow the Engineers via social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.