WORCESTER -- On a day that WPI men's basketball honored the 40th anniversary of the 1984-85 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight team and the 20th anniversary of the first NEWMAC Tournament championship and NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 squad from 2004-05, this year's Crimson and Gray put their own stamp on the program by never trailing in defeating visiting MIT 72-53 and securing the 2025 NEWMAC regular season title outright Saturday afternoon in Harrington Auditorium. 
 
WPI, which has now won four straight outright crowns and ten of their NEWMAC-best 13 regular season titles have been captured solo, improves to 21-2 on the season and 13-1 in NEWMAC. Worcester's Engineers, ranked 17th in latest D3hoops.com Top 25, have won 13 straight contests, equaling the fourth longest winning streak in program history. MIT falls to 9-15 overall and 3-12 in conference competition.
 
The game opened with a fierce battle in the paint, as Brett Marelli (Hampton, NH) and Justin Molen (Newark, DE) each dropped in four points, while Aidan Callahan (Rowley, MA) added two for WPI. On the other end, Parker Spann (Omaha, NE) dominated inside for MIT, sinking three buckets to keep his team within striking distance at 10-6 with just over 15 minutes left in the first half.
 
The visiting Engineers found their rhythm on offense, rattling off three straight baskets, including a pair from Merlin Gogolin (New York, NY), cutting the deficit to 14-12 with 11:54 to go. The action stayed fast-paced, with both teams trading buckets in a back-and-forth battle. MIT pulled even at 21-21 after Kade Kileen (Austin, TX) converted a three-point play, followed by a strong driving layup from Spann, capitalizing on a nifty steal by Spencer Lin (Menlo Park, CA).
 
The game remained a tight battle, but with the score at 28-26 in favor of the hosts, WPI seized momentum with an 8-0 run. Molen and Callahan each drained a three-pointer, while Marelli added a smooth hook shot, pushing WPI's lead to double digits at 36-26 with 3:17 left in the half.
As the clock wound down, Tim Reidy (Needham, MA) buried a deep three for WPI, but MIT's Lin answered by sinking both free throws to close out the half with WPI leading 41-30.
 
Marelli and Molen each contributed 10 points in the first half for the Boynton Hillers, with Marelli having three assists and Molen grabbing two boards. Callahan tallied seven points and Nicholas Margetson (Baldwin, NY) racked in five points and four rebounds. Lin led MIT with 10 points and two steals, while Spann was close behind with nine points and four assists.
 
WPI wasted no time extending its lead to 14 as Reidy knocked down a three to open the second half. However, MIT responded quickly with a triple from Jackson Weiland (Medford, OR) to keep the gap in check. A scoring drought followed, with neither team scoring for over two and a half minutes. The lull finally ended when the visitors added a point at the line, cutting the deficit to 44-34 with 16:46 remaining.
 
The Crimson and Gray continued to build on its lead as Marelli and Margetson delivered back-to-back buckets, stretching the advantage to 50-36 with 15:14 left to play. Another scoring drought followed, lasting over two and a half minutes, before MIT's Mike Ewing (Mendham, NJ) broke the silence with a strong layup and a perfect trip to the free-throw line. However, Molen kept WPI in control, sinking a mid-range jumper and grabbing his own offensive rebound for a layup, keeping the hosts ahead 54-40 with 11:25 remaining.
 
WPI took offensive control as Callahan erupted for eight straight points, sinking a pair of free throws, converting a three-point play, and drilling a three-pointer to cap off the run. Margetson swiped a steal and raced down the court for a driving layup before sinking a deep three. The surge gave the hosts their biggest lead of the night at 67-41 with
5:33 left to play.
 
The visitors put together a late push with an 8-2 run, highlighted by a three-pointer and a three-point play from Michael Zhang (Jacksonville, FL), cutting the deficit to 69-49 with under three minutes to go. However, WPI stayed in control down the stretch, maintaining their lead and closing out a 72-53 triumph.
 
Molen led the WPI Engineers with 18 points, eight boards, and three steals. Callahan tallied 15 points and four assists. Marelli and Margetson each contributed 12 points, with Marelli adding four assists and Margetson grabbing seven rebounds. For MIT, Lin totaled 10 points, two steals and corralled six boards. Spann tacked on nine points and four assists. Gogolin added eight points and one rebound.
 
The Boynton Hillers made 45.8% (27-of-59) while MIT shot 20-of-46 (43.5%) of field goals. WPI held the advantage in three-pointers, 8-2, and points off turnovers, 21-8.
 
Both squads continue with NEWMAC play next Wednesday. WPI travels to battle Springfield at 7pm, while MIT closes out the regular season hosting Clark at 6pm.
 
Recap Written by WPI Sports Information Student Assistant Maya Vartabedian '24 '25