WORCESTER, Mass. – No. 4 Clark men's basketball team (18-8) hosted its first NEWMAC Tournament game since 2013 and battled with No. 5 MIT (13-11) on Tuesday night, but fell 88-71 in the NEWMAC Quarterfinals from the Kneller Gymnasium.

How it Happened

• MIT jumped out to an early 16-8 early despite four points from graduate student Biko Gayman and buckets from fellow graduate students Tyler Davern and Matthew Waggett before a sophomore Bruce Saintilus layup made it a 19-10 game with 12:24 remaining in the first half.
• First-year Isaiah Taylor and Davern combined to score Clark's next six points and a Davern three with 8:29 left in the half made it a 32-21 contest before the Cougars went on a 6-4 run sparked by four more Taylor points to get within nine at 36-27 with 5:55 remaining in the half.
• Over the final 5:55 of the half, Davern connected on a pair of three's, with one coming at the buzzer and first-year Kyle Jackson made a three and a layup as Clark trailed 48-39 at the break.
• MIT opened the second half on a 15-9 run with all nine Clark points coming from Taylor as the Engineers led 63-48 with 14:09 to go in the game.
• Waggett and Davern combined to score eight of Clark's next 10 points and a and-one layup got the Cougars back within 15 at 77-62 with 6:15 remaining.
• Taylor and Davern hit three's down the stretch, but MIT pulled away with the win.

Inside the Box Score

• Davern led the way with 21 points on 8-16 shooting and grabbed five rebounds.
• Taylor scored 20 points on 7-15 shooting, recorded five steals, and pulled down four rebounds.
• Waggett added nine points and four rebounds.
• Gayman recorded eight points and three assists.
• Clark grabbed 25 rebounds, made seven threes, and dished out 11 assists, while recording 12 steals and forcing 16 turnovers.