NEWARK, New Jersey - November 10, 2023 - The Hiram men's basketball team lost its opening game at the John K. Adams Tip-Off Classic to Wesleyan University (CT), 103-68, inside The Golden Dome on the campus of Rutgers-Newark on Friday evening.

It marked the first all-time meeting between the two teams, with the Cardinals coming off a 16-9 season as part of the New England Small College Athletic Conference.

Junior Trent Jakacki spearheaded the Terriers with 21 points, the most by any student-athlete in the game. Ivan Yang contributed 9 points and 8 rebounds as part of the starting lineup, with freshman Tristan Martin-Marshall going a perfect 3-for-3 from the field on the offensive end and blocking 3 shots on the defensive end.

Hiram kept pace with Wesleyan in the first five minutes; Dushawn Hill drilled a three-pointer to trim the margin to 11-9 with 16:39 remaining in the first half. The Cardinals responded with a 12-2 run and finished the half on a 10-1 rally to carry a double-digit lead at halftime.

The Terriers bounced back in the second half, with Jakacki catching fire for 11 points in a short span. His three-pointer with 9:54 remaining capped off a 13-6 scoring run.

Hiram was able to get a made field goal from 10 different student-athletes in the game, but the high-powered offense from Wesleyan proved to be the difference in the neutral site matchup. The Cardinals had 58 points in the paint and 23 fast-break points in what was their first game of the campaign.

The John K. Adams Tip-Off Classic rolls on this weekend, with Hiram and Rutgers-Newark, the host institution, facing off on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the consolation game. Wesleyan and Springfield College, which beat Rutgers-Newark on Friday, will play in the championship game following the conclusion of the consolation game.