WORCESTER, Mass. --- Senior preseason All-American Sam Longwell posted his second straight double-double and Domenick Mastascusa pitched in with 18 points as Worcester Polytechnic defeated visiting MCLA, 74-61, in a non-conference men's basketball contest on Friday evening.
WPI, ranked No. 12 in the most recent D3hoops.com Top 25, has won a season-high five straight games and is now 8-1 overall. It marks the eighth time in the last nine years that the Engineers have started the season 8-1 or better. MCLA slips to 2-6.
WPI had been in control and led by double digits since midway through the first half until MCLA hit 6-of-7 shots from the field, including 3-for-3 on trifectas to whittle what had been a 17-point bulge to just eight with 12 minutes to go. Four straight points by Longwell and a Zach Karalis (North Andover, MA) 3-pointer fueled a 7-2 Engineer spurt that helped keep the Trailblazers at bay. The guests kept battling, never letting WPI get ahead by more than 13 yet not able to draw closer than eight the rest of the way.
MCLA saw three players reach double figures in scoring paced by Khalil Paul with 12 points. Careem Kirksey and Anthony Barbosa chipped in with 11 and 10 respectively.
MCLA is on the court Dec. 30, squaring off with the host Bantams at 5 p.m. in the Trinity Holiday Invitational.
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