Springfield, MA --- WPI men's basketball seniors Donovan Sevilla (San Ramon, CA) and John Adams (Douglas, MA) led the Engineers to 69-63 win against Springfield in a NEWMAC contest on Saturday evening.
With the win, WPI improves to 12-3 overall and 5-1 in conference play as Springfield drops to 5-10 and 2-4 mark in NEWMAC action.
Early contributions by first-year JT Veiking (Mansfield, MA) and junior Tim Reidy (Needham, MA) helped WPI take an early lead, but consecutive threes by Springfield brought them back and gave them a one-point advantage. An Adams layup briefly put the Engineers back in front before another Springfield three by Xoren Livingston (Wayland, MA) gave the Pride a 15-14 lead after nine minutes of action.
Springfield stretched their lead to 23-14 in the next three minutes, behind buckets by Nick Bray (Hartford, CT) and Nate Gryczka (Keene, NH), both assisted by Zander Robinson (East Hartford, CT), and a Curtiss Blische (Barkhamsted, CT) layup. The Engineers and Pride traded baskets for the next six minutes, with Adams, Aidan Callahan (Rowley, MA) and Sevilla scoring for the Crimson and Gray.
With two and a half minutes left in the first half and facing a 33-26 deficit, Nathan Bledsoe (San Antonio, TX) knocked down a three that sparked an 8-2 run to bring the Crimson and Gray within one heading into the break.
The Engineers picked up where they left off in the second half, opening with a 12-2 run behind five points and four points from veterans Sevilla and Adams, to take a 46-37 lead. The San Ramon native continued his big night, dropping seven points in just over a minute to bring his total to 20 on the evening, and stretching the Engineer lead to 12. A Blische layup with just under seven minutes left pulled Springfield back within single digits.
After a Sevilla layup, Jeremy Brown (Queensland, Australia) drained a three off the assist by Joe Hoch (South Ozone Park, NY) to close the WPI lead to six with just under six minutes left. Blische picked up his third foul, sending Adams to the line for two. Adams went 1-for-2 from the charity stripe before J.R. Newman (Havertown, PA) grabbed the offensive board and Adams finished what he started with an and-one layup leading to the conventional three-point play, marking a 63-53 lead with 4:16 remaining.
An Adams rebound with 3:19 left gave the senior his sixth double-double of the season and 29th of his career. Springfield fought to get back within six with a Blische jumper and two free throws by Hoch. Blische added another layup before a Callahan turnover called for a Springfield timeout and the ball back facing a six-point deficit with 41 seconds remaining.
Blische cleaned up a missed jumper and got the ball to Livingston, who sank a layup to bring the Pride within four with 21 seconds left. The Pride took a foul, and Blische came up big again with another rebound on a missed Sevilla free throw. The hosts advanced the ball with a timeout before Callahan corralled the final board of the night after a missed Hoch layup. Callahan connected on both free throws to clinch the 69-63 win for the Engineers.
Sevilla and Adams led the way for WPI scoring 22 and 20 points respectively. Adams added 11 rebounds and three assists as well as a block and a steal. Blische led the Pride with 16 points and six rebounds, tacking on a trio of blocks and a steal.
WPI dominated the paint, outscoring the Pride 36-26 in the key. Springfield enjoyed a 50% mark from deep shooting 9-of-18 from beyond the arc. WPI won the turnover battle 11-15 and added 15 points off turnovers. During the 20-4 run over the end of the first half and beginning of the second half, the Engineers shot 8-of-12 from the field, including 3-of-4 from 3-point land.
WPI looks ahead to a busy week of home games ahead, entertaining MIT on Tuesday at 7pm, welcoming Wheaton to Harrington Auditorium on Thursday at 7pm and hosting Salve Regina on Saturday at 1pm. Springfield kicks off a two-game road trip on Tuesday, venturing to Emerson for a 7pm tipoff.
Recap Written by WPI Sports Information Student Assistant Owen Radcliffe '24