MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Sophomores Fritz Hauser '26 and Sam Pohlman '26 both netted new career-highs with 21 points each, as the Wesleyan men's basketball team torched Colby in a 101-83 win on Saturday afternoon from Silloway Gymnasium. Wesleyan (10-4, 2-0 NESCAC) sweeps their NESCAC-opening weekend while handing the Mules (7-7, 0-2 NESCAC) their third loss in the past four games.
 
Less than 24 hours removed from handing Bowdoin a 21-point defeat, the Cardinals continued to fire on all cylinders as the 101 points is tied for the second-most by Wesleyan in a NESCAC game in team history. The Cardinals were relentless on offense, scoring 51 in the first half and 50 in the second half on the way to the 18-point win.
 
Hauser scored 13 of his career-high 21 in the first half, hitting on his first three three-point attempts, while finishing 8-for-13 overall and 5-of-8 from three. Pohlman went 9-for-12 from the floor on while adding seven rebounds and three assists, giving him 20+ points for the first time in his career.
 
Nicky Johnson '25 stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, a season-high 10 rebounds, nine assists, and five steals as he finished just one assist shy of becoming the first Cardinal in team history to record a triple-double. Shane Regan '25 added 14 points, a career-high nine rebounds, and five assists. Jared Langs '25 went for 11 points in just 15 minutes while Jackson Cormier '26 finished with eight points, four rebounds, four assists, and a career-high six steals.
 
After trading blows for the first four minutes of the contest, Wesleyan hit Colby with an 8-0 run to take a 17-7 lead just 5:22 into action. Hauser was the key piece, scoring 11 of the first 15 points scored by the Cardinals including a pair of three-pointers to help put Wesleyan out in front by double digits early.
 
The Mules had an answer, rattling off an 8-0 run of their own to make it 17-15 Cardinals nearing the midway point of the first half. The game continued to swing back and forth until the closing minutes as a 42-37 Cardinal lead turned into a 51-37 advantage following a 9-0 run in the course of just 1:32 of game action. Johnson started the spurt with a three and later came up with two stellar defensive plays leading to uncontested layups at the other end as Wesleyan led 51-39 at the break.
 
Colby could only manage to cut the deficit to nine points throughout the entire second half as the relentless Cardinal offense paved the way to a comfortable home win. Both sides hit shots in the second half, with the Mules hitting eight three-pointers in the second half alone, but it wasn't enough to overcome a 50-point second half wherein four Cardinals scored at least eight points including 11 from Pohlman.
 
Wesleyan has an entire week to prepare for their next contest which is slated for Sunday, January 14 with a 1 PM tip at Connecticut College.