CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Mark Lawrence, MIT’s head water polo coach, has announced that he will be stepping down as the Head Coach of the Engineers’ program. He will be moving on from MIT to become an assistant with the Brown University men’s water polo program.

Saturday afternoon was the start of New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference play for the MIT men’s basketball team, and the Engineers kicked things off with a solid effort, rolling past Wheaton College with a final score of 84-47. Mitchell H. Kates ’13 scored 20 points, and Matthew M. Redfield ’15 established a new career best of 19 points to help MIT improve to 10-2 and 1-0 in the NEWMAC. Wheaton fell to 6-5 and 0-1 with the loss.

Senior Will Tashman had a double-double of 22 points and 14 rebounds as MIT rolled past Newbury College, 91-76. It was a good afternoon for three-point shooting in Rockwell Cage as the Engineers shot 50 percent from behind the arc and the Nighthawks hit 48 percent of their attempts, led by a 7-of-10 performance by Tim Young ’13, who finished with 25 points.

Mitchell H. Kates ’13 scored a season-high 27 points to help No. 1 ranked MIT to a 70-60 victory over nearby rival Tufts University in men’s basketball action in Rockwell Cage. The Engineers held the Jumbos to just 36 percent shooting as they improved to 5-0 with the victory. Freshman Ben Ferris was the only player in double figures for Tufts with 17 points as the Jumbos saw their record evened at 3-3 for the season.

Trailing at the half by six, MIT outscored Curry College 41-27 in the second half to erase the deficit and come away with a 71-63 win in non-conference men’s basketball action in Rockwell Cage on Nov. 24. Senior Mitchell Kates scored 13 of his 22 points in the second half to help the top-ranked Engineers hold off the upset attempt by the Colonels. Sophomore Antonio Jones led Curry with 13 points.

Trailing by a point midway through the second half, MIT put together a 7-0 run that put the Engineers in the lead for good as they defeated Gordon College by a final of 64-53. Senior Mitchell H. Kates led all scores for the No. 1 ranked Engineers with 23 points, with senior William Tashman picking up his first double-double of the season with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

It has been a highly successful fall campaign for MIT’s varsity athletics program as the Engineers won six of the seven fall New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) championships over the past two weeks, a record level of success for MIT Athletics. Below are highlights of MIT’s fall season varsity athletics teams.

MIT Women’s Tennis completed a perfect season of play in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference today as the Engineers claimed the 2012 NEWMAC Championship with a 5-0 victory over defending champion Wellesley College. In a rematch of last season’s championship match, MIT reversed that decision to win its fourth conference crown and first since 2002. The victory also gave the Engineers the NEWMAC automatic bid to the 2013 NCAA Tournament.

In a battle that would determine first place in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference women’s tennis standings, MIT swept the doubles matches against Wellesley College and then split the singles matches to come away with a 6-3 victory. The win lifts MIT into sole possession of first place in the NEWMAC standings, moving the Engineers to 4-1 overall and 3-0 in the NEWMAC. Wellesley fell to 3-2 and 2-1 in the conference.

It was a fine start to the 2012 season for the No. 30 MIT women’s tennis team as the Engineers downed Assumption College, 9-0. Junior Lauren C. Quisenberry and freshman Victoria Tam got things started for MIT with an 8-0 win at No. 1 doubles.