WORCESTER, Mass. – The Husson University men's basketball team couldn't overcome a 16-point first half deficit in the opening round of the 2025 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament, as it fell to No. 19 Worcester Polytechnic Institute 81-71 on Friday evening at Harrington Auditorium.

Husson (21-8) started out on the right foot to begin Friday night's contest, jumping out to an early 8-3 lead on consecutive three-pointers from graduate student Jeremy Moronta and a driving layup from fellow fifth-year Scott Lewis.

After the two teams remained neck-and-neck through a low-scoring first eight minutes of play, WPI (25-3) turned a 13-13 score into a 25-15 lead to gain some ground on the Eagles.

The Engineers were able to gain even more distance between themselves and Husson, after they doubled their 31-23 lead and went up 39-23 with 2:38 remaining in the half.

In need of a spark before the end of the opening half, Husson got just that in the form of a 7-0 run to close the final 1:52, as a tip-in layup from Moronta, a layup from freshman Connor Heald and a sweet turnaround jumper from senior Riles Neff, followed by a free throw split from Heald sent the Eagles into the locker room down just nine.

Neff and Moronta paced the way for Husson with eight points each on a combined 7-13 shooting from the floor, while Lewis added seven.

Three-point shooting was a big difference in the first half, as WPI connected on eight shots from downtown, while the Eagles were limited to just two long-distance shots.

The Engineers looked to pull away once again early on in the second half, after Husson trimmed the lead down to seven to open the final 20 minutes.

A subsequent 11-3 run from WPI rebuilt the lead up to 15 and once again had Husson on its heels.

The Eagles continued to battle, but only managed to get the deficit to as low as seven with less than one minute remaining, as their season was ended in the first round by the host Engineers.

Lewis led the way for Husson in his final game with the Eagles, posting 18 points, eight rebounds and two blocks, while Moronta added 13, eight rebounds and four assists, playing all 40 minutes.

Sophomore Tope Alao came alive in the second half and finished with 12, including shooting 8-11 from the foul line.

Neff was bogged-down with a lower-body injury for a majority of the second half and finished with 11 points and five rebounds before fouling out late in the contest.

Husson finished at 46.2% from the floor and was able to get to the foul line effectively, but shot just 60.7% from the stripe.

The Engineers posted another eight made three-pointers in the second half to finish with 16 for the game, the second-most allowed by the Eagles this year.

Husson held a significant 41-27 edge on the glass, but points left at the foul line and 16 turnovers lessened Husson's chance at an upset victory.

With the loss, the season has come to an end for the Husson University men's basketball team.