Men’s Basketball Toppled by WPI in Non-Conference Action

Worcester, Mass. – The WPI men's basketball team shot nearly 50% from the floor as the Engineers defeated Framingham State University 77-46 at Harrington Gym in non-conference action this evening. With the win, WPI evens their season mark at 3-3, while the Rams slip to 1-5.

The Engineers connected on 30-of-62 shots from the floor including 10-of-21 from behind the arc (48%), while the Rams shot 35% from the floor (16-of-46) and 32% from long range.

The Rams were led offensively by junior Manny Payton (Fitchburg, Mass.) who tallied a team-high 23 points with two rebounds and three assists.  Sophomore Steve Vayda added six points on two-of-five from the floor, while freshman James Pucell chipped in with five boards.

The Engineers received 18 points off the bench from Dave Zielinski who connected on six-of-seven from behind the arc, while Garrett Stephenson added 11 points and Jake Wisniewski added 10.

The Rams committed 22 turnovers in the game which the Engineers converted into 26 points, while the hosts only committed 13 turnovers that the Rams turned into 17 points.  The Engineers also held the advantage in points in the pain and second chance points in the game.

The Rams face their third straight foe from the NEWMAC on Saturday when they host Clark University in a non-conference matchup beginning at 1 p.m.