FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. –The Wentworth Institute of Technology men's basketball squad cruised past the Falcons of Messiah 73-47 on Tuesday afternoon as part of the Cruzin' Classic tournament, backed by a double-double from sophomore Tyler Stewart (East Taunton, Mass.) and a team field goal percentage of 50%.

RECORDS:

• Wentworth: 4-4 (1-2 CCC)
• Messiah: 5-6

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

LEADING SCORERS:   Tyler Stewart, 24; Jack Connell, 8; Jack Schaake, 7

LEADING REBOUNDERS:   Stewart, 12; Schaake, 8; Thomas Hacker, Nathan Brinkman, 4

ASSIST LEADERS:   Connell, Robbie Siechen, 4

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Messiah started the day on a 6-0 run, sparked by a three-pointer from graduate student Tyler Penley (Drexel Hill, Pa.) The two teams traded buckets to work their way up to an 11-11 tie. Sophomore Nathaniel Smith (Beacon Falls, Conn.), who made a three-pointer two scores prior, sank a layup before sophomore Jack Connell (Walpole, Mass) drained a three of his own to make the score 16-11 in the Leopards' favor.
• Junior Bryce Coletti (Myerstown, Pa.) sank a three-pointer to cut the deficit to two until the Black & Gold unleashed a 7-0 run that featured four different point-getters to bring their lead to 23-14.
• Senior Jack Schaake (Hampton, N.H.) managed to grab three more points for the Leopards after Messiah collected four of their own to make the score 26-18. Stewart scored two more buckets for the Leopards that sandwiched two points for the Falcons to bring the score to 30-20 at the half.
• Wentworth started the second half on an 18-2 run, led by eight points from Stewart, four from senior Thomas Hacker (Averill Park, N.Y.), and three-pointers by senior Sam Swift (Arlington, Mass.) and freshman Russell Dolabany (Westwood, Mass.). After being outscored by the Falcons 4-2 shortly thereafter, Swift nailed another three to put Wentworth ahead 53-26.
• Messiah went on a 4-1 run until a 6-0 run by the Leopards, fueled by a three-pointer from freshman Robbie Siechen (Clay, N.Y.), ramped up the score to 60-30 with just under six minutes remaining in the contest. The Falcons responded with a 6-2 run of their own until a three from junior Ikenna Azums (Hyde Park, Mass.) slowed their roll, marking a 65-36 score.
• The Falcons rattled off seven-straight points, with three points each coming from freshman Dan Starkey (Cochranville, Pa.) and junior Michael Healy (Ashburn, Va.), cutting the deficit to 65-43. Following their run was a 5-0 run by the Leopards, with all five points coming from freshman Mike Yentin (Beverly, Mass.), making the score 70-43. The two teams traded baskets to end the game at a 73-47 score.
• Stewart notched a double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds while going 10-12 from the floor. The Leopards shot 50% from the field as a team while the Falcons shot 25.9%.

SERIES NOTES:

• Today's game was the first-ever matchup between the two teams.

NEXT UP:

• The Black & Gold continue the Cruzin' Classic tournament tomorrow, tipping off against Wartburg at 2:00 p.m.

For the latest on Wentworth Athletics, follow the Leopards via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Wentworth Leopards "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.