North Dartmouth, MA --- Tim Reidy (Needham, MA) poured in a career-high 22 points, including five 3-pointers, as the WPI men's basketball team went on the road for the first time this season and knocked off host UMass Dartmouth 80-74 Tuesday evening at the Tripp Athletic Center.
 
WPI, which is receiving votes in the preseason D3hoops.com Top 25, is now 4-0 for the fourth consecutive season and 14th time under 24-year head coach Chris Bartley.  The Corsairs are now 1-3 overall.
 
The Crimson and Gray never trailed in a game for the third time in four outings this season, yet never led by more than single digits in the first half with defense taking center stage for both squads.   Back-to-back 3-pointers by Reidy midway through the first half put WPI ahead by eight at 17-9 but the Corsairs were able to whittle the deficit down to as little three points before the guests took a 31-26 advantage into the locker room at the break.  Both teams shot less than 40% over the opening 20 minutes (WPI 36.7% and UMD 34.4%) while the Engineers were a perfect 5-of-5 from the line and the hosts just 1-of-9 (11.1%) from downtown.   Reidy was joined by teammates Aidan Callahan (Rowley, MA), Nicholas Margetson (Baldwin, NY) and Nathan Bledsoe (San Antonio, TX) and UMass Dartmouth's Ryan Flauto (Whitinsville, MA) with six first half points.
 
The second half was much more frantic and offensive minded.  Reidy was the catalyst in WPI surging ahead by 13 points less than five minutes into the second half as the senior drained two trifectas and tallied a conventional 3-point play to give the Boynton Hillers a 47-34 edge.   UMass Dartmouth trailed by as many as 14 points with just over five minutes but closed to with five at 74-69 following a Camden DiChiara (Lincoln, RI) 3-pointer with 1:46 to go, but Callahan, the reigning NEWMAC Offensive Athlete of the Week and D3hoops.com Team of the Week honor, drained a tough layup with 1:12 to go and canned a pair of free throws in the final 30 seconds to keep the Corsairs at bay.
 
The second half was the polar opposite of the first 20 minute with the two teams combining for 97 points (48-47 WPI).  The hosts shot a robust 60.7% after halftime while the Engineers connected on 58.1% of their second half field goal tries.   UMass Dartmouth outrebounded the guests 41-31 but the Crimson and Gray had the better of fast break points (24-7) and points off turnovers (16-7).
 
Reidy, who had set his previous career standard of 17 last week in a season-opening victory over Worcester State drilled 5-of-10 from behind the arc and all three of his shots from the free throw line.   He also contributed three assists and three boards.  Callahan continued his strong start to the young season with 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor and 6-of-6 from the charity stripe.  The two-time All-NEWMAC selection handed out nine assists, one off his career best.  Bledsoe reached double figures with 14 points, including 4 3-pointers, and Justin Molen (Newark, DE) and Margetson each added eight points in the win.
 
Josh Lopes (Taunton, MA) was a perfect 8-of-8 from the line on his way to a team-best 16 points for the Corsairs.  Flauto and DiChiara each amassed 13 points with Flauto hauling in 10 rebounds to post a double-double.  Isaac Percy (Pittsfield, MA) and Trent Santos (Taunton, MA) both registered nine points
 
WPI returns home to face Salem State in a 7pm contest on Thursday. UMass Dartmouth travels northwest to compete against Babson to kickoff a three-game road swing on Saturday for a 7pm game.