THE BASICS:

- Score: MIT 80, Fitchburg State 75

- Records: MIT (6-3); Fitchburg State (5-5)

- Location: Fitchburg, Mass. (Parkinson Gymnasium)

- The Lead: Led by 29 points from junior Ian Hinkley (Raleigh, N.C.), the MIT men's basketball team rallied from a 13-point first-half deficit and picked up an 80-75 non-conference road win at Fitchburg State on Saturday afternoon.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

- Hinkley nailed a three for the first points of the game for MIT, but it was the Falcons who asserted control and led 20-10 with 13 minutes on the clock after a layup from Charles Doss. Three Fitchburg free throws gave the hosts their largest lead at 23-10 before the Engineers mounted a rally with an 18-6 run that pulled MIT within 29-28 at the 5:01 mark. 

- FSU continued to lead by five at 37-32 with 1:45 remaining, but it was MIT that ended the half on a quick 5-0 run that was capped by a free throw from first-year Kael Kordonowy (Wichita, Kan.) to tie things up at 37-37. 

- A Hinkley layup early in the second gave MIT its first lead since the opening moments as the Engineers eventually built a seven-point edge at 50-43 with 13:36 left. Fitchburg had an answer of its own over the next seven minutes though as the Falcons regained a cushion at 61-55. Back-to-back three-pointers by MIT sophomore Giannis Chatziveroglou (Athens, Greece) tied the game for the fifth time and the two teams battled down the stretch.

- With neither team leading by more than five points over the final six minutes of play, the game was tied for the eighth and final time at 73-73. Five straight MIT points from sophomore Dan Pilsbury (Millington, N.J.) put the Engineers ahead to stay, while two late Hinkley free throws sealed MIT's third straight victory.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:  

- Hinkley finished with 29 points on 11-of-20 shooting, while Kordonowy posted a 17-point, 12-rebound double-double. Pilsbury also added 12 points, seven rebounds and a game-high five assists. 

- For Fitchburg, Nicholas Tracy led four players in double figures scoring with 16 points, along with 15 points and seven rebounds from Doss. Dominik Williams added 14 points, while Devon Johnson talled 13 points in 16 minutes.

- MIT held a slim 36-35 rebounding advantage, while the Falcons forced 19 MIT turnovers and had nine steals.

- The Engineers shot an outstanding 57.4 percent from the field for the game, including connecting on nine three-pointers. 

UP NEXT:

- MIT is back in action on Monday, December 9th as the Engineers host Rhode Island College for a 7 p.m. start.

STAY CONNECTED:

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