MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Leading by 20 less than six minutes into play, the Wesleyan men's basketball team looked to be in cruise control only to see Albertus Magnus fight back to within a two-point deficit early in the second half. The Cardinals, however, proved up to the task as a crucial 11-0 run restored a double-digit lead for Wesleyan who ultimately closed out an 81-63 win over Albertus Magnus on Saturday afternoon in the Herb Kenny Tournament Championship game held at Silloway Gymnasium.
 
This marks the sixth consecutive Herb Kenny Tournament title for Wesleyan as the Cardinals (4-0) dispatched the Falcons (2-6) in what was the first meeting between the two sides since 2012. Ben Lyttle '27 led the Cardinals with his first career double-double, totaling 12 points and 13 rebounds, as he went on to earn Tournament MVP honors. Shane Regan '25 was also named to the All-Tournament Team after following up his 14-point effort last night in the win over Anna Maria, with a 13-point, six assist effort against the Falcons.
 
Wesleyan marked the start of the game with a blistering spell, as Lyttle hit a pair of three-pointers while Fritz Hauser '26 added another as it took just over three minutes for the Cardinals to hit the double-digit mark. It was 11-6 Cardinals before Wesleyan hit Albertus with 15 unanswered points to hold their largest lead of the game at 26-6 just 5:56 into the game. Sam Pohlman '26 hit consecutive three-pointers and Oscar Edelman '28 added another, giving Wesleyan six three-pointers in the early going.
 
Albertus began to chip away, cutting the Wesleyan lead down to 30-19 just under five minutes later as Ta'zhon Daniels went to work for the Falcons. The junior scored 17 of his game-high 28 points in the first half, connecting on his first four attempts from three-point range. The game continued to sway back and forth with Wesleyan leading by 15 before the Falcons cut the deficit all the way down to 41-35 before the end of the half when Wesleyan went into the halftime locker rooms leading 46-38 despite a last second halfcourt heave from Kevin Crawford that fell in.
 
The Falcons made it a one possession game just 3:21 into the second half and continued to trail by just two a few minutes later until a 11-0 Wesleyan run proved crucial in the end. Hauser started the run with two free throws and a three-pointer followed by back-to-back makes from distance for Zach Wolinski '28 as the Cardinals turned the game on its head, leading 62-49 with 10:47 left.
 
Edelman closed the game out with a pair of three-pointers, the second of which put Wesleyan in front 72-56, as the Cardinals led by double digits for the remainder of play before ultimately finishing off an 81-63 win.
 
Wesleyan held the Falcons to just 36.4 percent shooting in the second half and an 0-for-2 showing from three-point range. The Cardinals, meanwhile, finished the game with a season-high 13 made three-pointers, going 13-for-36 for the contest.
 
Four Cardinals hit double figures in scoring including a team-high 14 points from Edelman off the bench as the first-year forward hit 4-of-7 from long range. Hauser scored a season-high 13 points while Pohlman went for nine points, six assists, and three rebounds and Jackson Cormier '26 added six points and seven rebounds (four offensive) in 15 minutes off the bench.
 
Wesleyan is back at home on Tuesday night with a 5 PM tip against Emmanuel from Silloway Gym.