CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Clark men's basketball team (12-0, 1-0 NEWMAC) opened NEWMAC play with a thrilling 86-75 overtime win over MIT (7-4, 0-1 NEWMAC) on Wednesday night from the Rockwell Cage.   

The 12-game winning streak is the programs longest since 1986-87 when they won 19 straight games and the best start to a season since 1985-86 when they started 14-0. This was the first win vs. MIT since 2016.

How it Happened

• MIT took an early 11-9 lead despite five points from graduate student Biko Gayman and buckets from first-year Isaiah Taylor and sophomore Bruce Saintilus before the Cougars tied the game at 18-18 with 8:30 remaining in the first half sparked by an and-one layup from graduate student Matthew Waggett and a three-pointer from Taylor.
• Clark then scored 12 of the next 14 points of the game with six coming from graduate student Tyler Davern, a three from sophomore Jordan Richard, and two points each from Taylor and Saintilus to go up 30-20 with 4:24 remaining before the Engineers pulled within four at 34-30 at the break despite four more points from Saintilus.
• MIT opened the second half on a 15-4 run despite Gayman and Saintilus buckets as the Engineers led 45-38, but Davern, Saintilus, and Taylor helped the Cougars get back within one at 48-47 with 12:09 remaining.
• After the teams traded baskets over the next five minutes, Taylor converted on a layup to give Clark the lead back at 55-54 and after another Taylor layup, the Cougars went up 57-55 with 5:53 to go in the game.
• Taylor continued to provide energy with another triple and a Davern three with 3:20 left put Clark up 64-59 before Davern scored the Cougars next four points to stay up 68-64 with 0:53 remaining.
• Saintilus made a layup and a Gayman free throw put the Cougars up 71-68 with 0:18 to go, but Alex Cho of MIT connected on a three at the buzzer as regulation ended 71-71.
• The Cougars opened overtime on a 6-0 run with four points from Taylor and a Saintilus layup and six more points from Saintilus helped put Clark up 83-73 with 1:18 left in overtime as Clark pulled away with Taylor converting three free throws down the stretch as Clark pulled away 86-75 and held MIT to only four points in OT.

Inside the Box Score

• Saintilus netted a team and career-high 27 points as he made eight shots and 11 free throws while grabbing four rebounds.
• Taylor added 24 points on 8-13 from the field, recorded nine steals, grabbed five rebounds, and dished out four assists.
• Davern recorded his fourth double-double of the year with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while also recording four blocks.
• Clark grabbed 42 rebounds, made five threes, dished out nine assists, and recorded 24 steals, while forcing 30 turnovers.

What's Next

The Cougars will return to the court on Saturday when they welcome Wheaton to the Kneller beginning at 1:00 p.m.