WORCESTER -- Nathan Bledsoe (San Antonio, TX) registered a game-high 22 points and hauled in a team-best nine rebounds and Justin Molen (Newark, DE) added 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the floor to help nationally-ranked WPI men's basketball defeat visiting Middlebury 85-57 on Tuesday evening inside Harrington Auditorium.  
 
The Engineers, who are ranked No. 25 in the most recent D3hoops.com Top 25, improved to 9-2 overall while Middlebury slips to 6-5 on the season.
 
Looking to bounce back after a setback at home Saturday to Tufts, WPI made sure they wouldn't face a two game losing streak headed back into NEWMAC play this weekend, rattling off 13 of the first 15 points an racing out to a 33-9 advantage just over 14 minutes into the contest.  The Crimson and Gray did it on both ends of the floor, shooting 12-21 from the floor with Molen (12), Bledsoe (9) and Tim Reidy (Needham, MA) combining for 28 of the 33 points while on the other end the hosts played suffocating defense, limiting the Panthers to 2-of-16 shooting (12.5%) from the floor during the game-opening spurt.  Molen put the cherry on top of an outstanding first half of basketball with a long 3-pointer to beat the buzzer and sent the Engineers into the locker room with a 43-17 lead.     
 
The advantage would extend to as much as 32 in the second half with Middlebury drawing back to within 24 on a pair of occasions in the final 20 minutes.
 
Bledsoe reached the 20-point mark for the third time this season and for the third time this season finished a rebound short of a double-double.   The junior sharpshooter canned 6-of-10 3-pointers as the Engineers drained 13-of-28 (46.4%) shots from downtown on the night.  Reidy joined Bledsoe and Molon in double figure scoring with 13 points, including a trio of trifectas. 
 
WPI enjoyed a 44-35 edge on the glass with Nicholas Margetson (Baldwin NY) and Matt Morvillo (Bedford, MA) each hauling in eight rebounds.  The Crimson and Gray were credited with 20 assists on 30 made field goals, with J.R. Newman (Havertown, MA) and Margetson each doling out five assists.
 
Ian Murray (Kennebunkport, ME) topped the Panthers with 11 points while Donovan Lee (Austin, TX) delivered career-best totals of 10 points and six rebounds.  Mark Newell (Arlington, MA) led all players with 11 boards, giving him double-digit caroms for the fourth consecutive outing and the fifth time this season.
 
Both teams turn their attention to conference home affairs this weekend.  WPI restarts the NEWMAC portion of its schedule Saturday at 2pm, hosting Springfield to conclude a four-game homestand while Middlebury begins its NESCAC slate, hosting Trinity on Friday and Wesleyan on Saturday.