WPI 77, Clark 61

Worcester, MA --- Senior guard Ryan Cain (Webster, MA) had 27 points, his ninth straight 20-point game, to lead Worcester Polytechnic Institute to a 77-61 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) victory over Clark University in front of an Alumni Day crowd at the Kneller Athletic Center on Saturday.            

Clark, who drops its second straight, falls to 7-6 overall and 1-2 in the NEWMAC.  Ranked 23rd in the latest D3hoops.com poll, WPI (12-1, 3-0 NEWMAC) wins its ninth consecutive game.   

Sophomore Peter Normandin (Westminster, MA) had 17 points and eight rebounds to lead the Cougars.  First-year Mark Alexander (Providence, RI) notched his fifth straight double-digit game with 10 points and collected seven boards. Matt McLaughlin (Rochester, MA) dished out five assists in the game.   

Sophomore Jerome Kirkland (Boston, MA) tied a career-high with 19 points and four steals, while junior Antoine Coleman (Everett, MA) finished with 14 points and a team-best eight rebounds for the Engineers.      

WPI led by as many as nine (28-19) on a lay-up by Kirkland, who had 16 first half points, at the 5:38 mark.  Clark responded with an 8-2 spurt highlighted by five points from Dominique Beck (Brockton, MA) and Godfrey Duncan's (Dorchester, MA) dagger three-pointer to bring the Cougars within 30-27 with :42 seconds remaining.  However, a conventional three-point play by Kirkland gave the Engineers a six-point edge (33-27) going into the locker room.    

The Cougars opened the second half on a 7-2 run capped by a three-pointer from Asher Cowan (Peterborough, NH) to trail by one (34-35) at the 18:11 mark.  The two teams traded baskets before WPI scored eight straight points to push the lead back up to nine (47-38).  Pat Landers' (Worcester, MA) free throw and a jumper by Alexander brought Clark within 41-47 at 10:43, but the Cougars would get no closer. Cain scored 13 points, six coming at the charity stripe, over the next 5:43 to put the game out of reach.    

Clark, who shot poorly from the field (38.5 %), managed to out-rebound WPI, 40-35.  WPI shot 47.3 percent from the floor and 75.4 percent from the foul line.  

With the win, WPI evens the series record at 62-all, dating back to the 1920 season. Clark split with WPI last year, edging the Engineers (72-67) at WPI and falling, 71-69 at home.   

Clark will travel to Bowdoin College on Monday for a 7 p.m. tilt.  WPI will continue its conference slate at MIT on Wednesday (7 p.m.). 

Release Courtesy Clark Sports Information