MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Leading by 12 points with 1:24 remaining, the Wesleyan men's basketball team saw UMass Dartmouth make a comeback and attempt a would-be game-tying three-pointer but
Fritz Hauser '26 blocked Darius Peterson's shot, securing an 80-75 victory over the Corsairs. Wesleyan (13-5) are now winners of 11 straight, something the team has accomplished only twice prior in program history, while UMass Dartmouth (5-12) see their two-game win streak come to an end.
The second half shooting of
Gabe Ravetz '23 played a large role in the outcome as the senior netted 15 points in the second half alone, scoring 23 total points which matches a career-high.
Nicky Johnson '25 was fantastic on the ball, matching his season-high with 11 assists against just one turnover. Johnson added 11 points to give him his second double-double of the season and the third of his career.
Preston Maccoux '23 (14 points, nine rebounds) and
Shackylle Dezonie '23 (12 points, five rebounds) each landed with double-digit point totals, giving Wesleyan four players with 10+ points.
Nicky Johnson '25 had a big night with 11 points, 11 assists, five rebounds, and four steals
In a game that Wesleyan led for more than 35 minutes, UMass Dartmouth hung around for and didn't allow the Cardinals to create much separation all throughout the first half. The game was back-and-forth in a one possession game for more than 10 minutes before Ravetz hit a three to make it 25-18, opening a seven-point cushion with 8:04 remaining in the first.
After the Corsairs cut it down to just a four-point margin with 5:22 left, an extended Cardinal run saw UMass Dartmouth held to just four points and one field goal for the remainder of the half while Wesleyan ripped off a 10-4 run to take a 39-29 advantage into halftime.
A high-scoring second half saw both teams score 40+ points while UMass Dartmouth managed to outscore the Cardinals 46-41 but Wesleyan built up enough of a lead to withstand a late Corsairs rally attempt to secure the win.
UMass Darmouth saw Wesleyan open up a 16-point lead just over three minutes into the second half but that was soon whittled down to just a nine-point Cardinal advantage three minutes later. The Cardinals' lead remained at nine points before Ravetz hit a three to kickstart an 8-0 spurt over a 1:11 span as Johnson followed with a driving laup and Ravetz again hit from deep that made it 68-51 Wesleyan.
Shackylle Dezonie '23 takes a feed from Johnson and hits the reverse layup
Wesleyan still led by 17 at 74-57 with 5:43 remaining as Hauser converted a layup on a drive from the wing, and even though the Corsairs cut the deficit down to 12, the Cardinals led 78-66 with only 1:24 left.
The Corsairs then made it interesting in the closing minute as Jackson Zancan hit back-to-back three-pointers to cut it to 78-72 and after Johnson missed the front end of a 1-and-1, Dhalyn Sanders-Dyer hit from three and suddenly it was 78-75.
Maccoux was fouled on the inbounds and he also missed the front end of a 1-and-1 opportunity, allowing the Corsairs a chance to tie the score with under 10 seconds remaining. Pushing the ball up the floor, the ball was kicked over to Peterson in the far corner who got his shot off but Hauser challenged the play enough to get a hand on the attempt and Maccoux cleaned up the rebound with 2.5 remaining.
Gabe Millstein '23 (right) celebrates with Gabe Ravetz '23 (left) following the close win
This time, Maccoux made no mistake at the line, hitting both to put the game away as the Cardinals survived with an 80-75 victory.
As a team, Wesleyan shot 47.1 percent (33-for-70) from the floor while dishing out a season-high 24 assists against just seven turnovers. Points in the paint favored Wesleyan 44-26 while the Corsairs owned a 21-10 advantage in second chance points.
Zanvan led the Corsairs with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Sanders-Dyer finished with 17 points and John Martins Jr. and Ryan Flauto each finished with 10 points.
Wesleyan is one of eight teams in the country with a win streak of 10 or more games, as the Cardinals are tied for the fifth-longest active winning run. The last 11-game win streak for the Cardinals came in the 2015-16 season.
All that remains in the regular season slate for Wesleyan are six NESCAC games, starting with a tough weekend away as the Cardinals head to Amherst on Friday night before traveling to Hamilton for a Saturday afternoon tilt.
