Sophomore Joe Tucker (Barre, VT) picked up three points at 150 lbs. by defeating his opponent to make the score 21-6. The Engineers dropped the next two weights as the score was closed to 21-15. At 177 lbs., junior Lance Baden (Framingham, MA) won his match by a tech fall to give WPI five points and increase the lead back to 26-15. Even though Bridgewater won the last two weights WPI still was victorious 26-24.
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newspeak staff photo / Steve Brockway
The Women's basketball team played Westfield State last Thursday, but were not able to come out win a win, loosing 58-91. The team's next home game will be this Thursday, when WPI will face off against Salve Regina College.
The women's basketball team got back into action last week with two games against Brisgewater State and Westfield State. They defeated Bridgewater 50-46 and lost to Westfield State 91-58.
In the game against Bridgewater, senior co-captains Kim Landry (Gardner, MA) and Danielle Batey (Fairfield, ME) led the way for the Engineers. Landry scored a game-high 18 points while grabbing eight rebounds and Batey added 14 points and eight rebounds.
Two nights later on the 5th WPI hosted Westfield State in their home opener. The Owls used a tenacious defense to build a 43-18 lead at halftime as WPI turned the ball over 12 times and shot only 17 percent from the field. In the second half, the Engineers played better, but were unable to get any closer. Landry led WPI with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
During Thanksgiving break WPI hosted their rival Engineers from MIT. WPI had a 36-20 halftime lead due in part to some hot shooting by senior Mike Shannon (Worcester, MA) who scored 20 of his game-high 25 points in the first twenty minutes. WPI still had a comfortable lead at 56-46 with just over five minutes remaining in the game before MIT started to mount a comeback attempt. With 1:51 left MIT tied the game at 60-60. Shannon made two free throws to give WPI the lead back at 62-60. WPI made a defensive stop and then Jeff Cayer (Shelton, CT) found freshman Mike Reynolds (Ewing, NJ) underneath for a lay-up to put WPI ahead 64-60 with 44 seconds remaining. They would go on to win the game 65-61.
Last Tuesday the Engineers went on the road to play traditionally strong Babson College in an important early season contest in the conference. Behind a 25 point performance from Cayer WPI won the game 81-70. The team shot 68 percent from the field in the second half to secure the win. Shannon had his fourth straight game with 20 or more points scoring 21 and grabbing 12 rebounds as well in the win. Senior Greg Simpson (Lebanon, NJ) chipped in with 15 points and sophomore John Lehhane (Marlboro, MA) scored 11 points.
Shannon's performance during the first three games of the season earned him Player of the Week in the conference for that period.