February 12, 2005

Feb. 12, 2005

Box Score

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Sophomore Cory Szklarz scored a career-high 31 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had a team-best four assists to lead Clark University (8-14, 4-7 NEWMAC) to a tremendous come-from-behind victory over MIT (10-11, 3-7) in a pivotal conference battle inside Rockwell Cage. The Cougars took their first lead of the second half with 10 seconds left in regulation.

 

Mike D'Auria scored a season-high 25 points to lead the Engineers, and led all scorers with 16 points in the second half. Despite D'Auria's efforts, the Engineers struggled in the final 20 minutes, especially on the glass, where they were out-rebounded, 34-22. The biggest factor in Saturday's heartbreaking defeat for MIT was the discrepancy in second chance points, a stat in which Clark enjoyed a 14-2 edge.

 

Rookie Will Mroz started hot for the Cardinal and Gray, hitting six straight three-point field goals in the first half en route to a career-high 20 points. The Engineers led by as many as nine in the opening frame, although the Cougars' vaunted duo of Szklarz and Tim Dutille kept Clark in striking distance.

 

With MIT holding a 41-35 advantage heading into the second half, the teams swapped baskets throughout most of the period, with D'Auria supplying most of Tech's damage, and Szklarz and Dutille filling the net for the Clark attack. Both teams shot the ball well, but key offensive rebounds enabled the Cougars to slice MIT's lead to just two with just over a minute left on the clock. When Szklarz connected on his 31^st point at the 1:20-mark, the Cougars forced a 66-66 tie.

 

Inbounding the ball underneath its own hoop- in likely the final possession of regulation, Adam Miller found Tim Dutille deep in the post, who delivered a right-handed lay-up to give Clark the lead with 10 seconds to go. D'Auria had a final chance for the Engineers, but his running jumper rimmed out from the top of the key.