MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Leading by as many as 27 points in the first half, the Wesleyan men's basketball team was made to work towards the end as the Lancers cut the deficit to just four points, but the Cardinals proved too much, ultimately leading wire-to-wire in a 79-69 victory in Silloway Gymnasium on Tuesday night. Wesleyan (5-1) picks up a win heading into a big Saturday night clash at home against Williams while Worcester State drops to 3-4 on the season.
 
The Cardinals could do no wrong in the early going, using a 10-0 run in a span of just over two minutes to hold a 12-2 lead only 4:52 into play. Wesleyan's lead vaulted to 15 points as Josh Cameron '27 converted a layup on the fast break, forcing another Lancer timeout. It was later 21-8 Cardinals before another extended run, this time a 14-0 swing, pushed the margin all the way to 35-8 Wesleyan with 7:04 left in the first half. Ben Lyttle '27 and Cameron keyed the run as the freshmen combined for 10 of the 14 points in the scoring spree.
 
After heavy blows from the Cardinals all throughout the first half, Worcester State dug in and managed to cut the deficit to 44-26 heading into halftime. Wesleyan went 16-for-26 on two-point field goal attempts in the half, overcoming a 3-for-15 showing from three-point range. Nicky Johnson '25 and Lyttle tied for the team-lead with 10 points each while Jared Langs '25 added nine points after the first half of play.
 
Worcester State continued to chip away, cutting the deficit down to 10 points after less than four minutes expired in the second half. The margin suddenly dropped to just four points as the Lancers trailed just 52-48 with 11:57 remaining. Neither side scored a point for nearly two minutes before Jackson Cormier '26 broke the deadlock with a driving layup, absorbing a shooting foul in the process.
 
Wesleyan maintained a safe lead of at least seven points for most of the middle stages of the second half, but the Lancers again made a play for the lead, cutting the deficit down to 69-65 with 3:39 left. The margin remained at four heading under two minutes to play until Lyttle came up with the biggest bucket of the game, a three-point make on a driving dish from Johnson with 1:22 remaining that made it 74-67 Cardinals.
 
The Lancers missed a three-pointer on their next possession and the Cardinals went on to hit their free throws down the stretch to ice away a 10-point home win.
 
Lyttle was the best player on the floor, pumping in 13 of his game and career-high 23 points in the second half when Worcester State made their move. He went 9-of-14 from the floor and 3-of-6 from three, hitting three of the Cardinals' four total three-point makes in the game.
 
Johnson flirted with a triple-double as he finished with 15 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds to go along with two steals in 37 minutes. Johnson's 10 assists are a new season-high.
 
Langs finished with 13 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks while Shane Regan '25 also finished in double-figures with 11 points. Cameron provided solid production off the bench with eight points and five rebounds in 15 minutes.
 
Aaron Nkrumah led the Lancers with 21 points, five assists, and four rebounds but struggled with efficiency, going just 6-for-23 from the floor and 2-of-12 from three. Zion Hendrix went for 17 points while Ryan Rubenskas finished with 10 points and 14 rebounds.
 
Next up for Wesleyan is a Saturday clash with No. 15 ranked Williams in a Little Three, non-league contest that'll tip at 4:30 PM.