MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Fritz Hauser '26 and Sam Pohlman '26 showed out in a big way on Sunday afternoon, as the two seniors paved the way for the No. 18 ranked Wesleyan men's basketball team in a 83-61 win over Bates from Silloway Gymnasium. The convincing 21-point win keeps Wesleyan (17-5, 7-1 NESCAC) in the top spot of the league standings while the Bobcats (16-6, 4-4 NESCAC) will fight for playoff positioning next weekend.
 
Hauser come out on fire, hitting three straight three-pointers in the opening two minutes of the game, setting the tone for a career-high 30-point performance. Hauser went 11-for-18 from the floor and 8-for-13 from three, finishing just one made three-pointer away from matching the single-game program record.
 
Hauser's running mate Pohlman had one of the best games of his career, dishing out a career-high 15 assists against just one turnover while adding 10 rebounds and six points. The 15 assists are the most by a Cardinal against a NESCAC opponent in team history and the second-highest single-game total in team history.
 
A highly entertaining opening 3+ minutes saw the Cardinals and Bobcats push the ball at a frenetic pace, scoring on nearly every possession. Hauser's three-point shooting stole the show in the early stages, as he scored 11 of the Cardinals' 13 points in the first 2:37 of play.
 
After 20 combined points were scored in first 2:37 of the game, just four points were scored over the next 4+ minutes as the two defenses settled into the game. Jaalan Watson '29 hit from deep to make it 25-16 Wesleyan at the midway point of the first half and after the Bobcats cut the deficit down to four, the Cardinals followed with an 8-0 run to lead by double digits for the first time. Ben Lyttle '27 canned a corner three before Hauser connected yet another from deep.
 
Wesleyan held a 40-30 lead at halftime but the Bobcats came out with purpose in the second half, getting a pair of three-pointers and a basket from Babacar Pouye to suddenly made it a four-point game. In the face of the Bates pressure, it was Hauser who connected from deep to stymie the run, then six unanswered Wesleyan points restored the double-digit advantage.
 
The roller coaster ride continued as Bates forced a Wesleyan timeout with five unasewred points making it 53-47 Wesleyan with 12:01 remaining. But, as he had done all throughout the contest, it was Hauser who stepped into a three-point make, and on the same play, Bates committed a foul on a box out, allowing the ball to stay with the Cardinals. On the ensuing possession, Josh Cameron '27 finished a great feed from Pohlman and the five-point swing ignited what ultimately turned into a game-deciding 28-6 run for the Cardinals.
 
Hauser canned his eighth three of the contest in the early stages of the run before the Cardinals went on a string of five straight possessions with a made basket, watching their lead balloon to as many as 28 points in the process.
 
The Cardinals finished 12-for-30 (40 percent) from three-point range and tied a season-high with 24 assists against just six turnovers as a team. Wesleyan finished +11 in rebounding (45-34) and grabbed 15 offensive boards which led to a 14-7 advantage in second chance points.
 
Joining Hauser in double figures was Zach Wolinski '28 who totaled 17 points with four rebounds and four assists. Oscar Edelman '28 tallied eight points and nine rebounds while Cameron had eight points and eight rebounds off the bench.
 
Wesleyan hosts Bowdoin and Colby next weekend for the final two games of the regular season. The Cardinals open with the Polar Bears on Friday at 7 PM from Silloway Gym.