The Wesleyan men’s basketball team entered the season with high hopes but stumbled out of the gate; after winning the season opener, the team lost their next three games. But the Cardinal men have been competitive throughout and showed what they are capable of with a resounding 71-54 win over Framingham State on Tuesday. The victory improved the Cardinals’ record to 2-3, staving off a deep deficit in the standings that would have been difficult to overcome later on in the season.

“So far, we would’ve liked to have done better,” said co-captain Jason Mendell ’12. “Two-three is not exactly the start that we wanted, but we have a tough schedule that is going to help us build up to the goals we want to accomplish.”

Mendell led the team in scoring for the second consecutive game at Framingham State, putting up 21 points as well as 10 rebounds. Shasha Brown ’13, Wesleyan’s leading scorer with an average of 19.2 points per game, tacked on 16 points as well. Mendell and Brown were very efficient on offense, each sinking eight of their eleven shots from the field.

The Cardinals’ inconsistency thus far can likely be attributed to early season volatility with the roster. Chad LaBove ’14, Zach Lynch ’14, and Glen Thomas ’14 are all still adjusting to their roles on the team, and co-captain Greg St. Jean ’13 and Dave Fogel ’13 have yet to see action this season due to injuries.

“Since, the beginning of preseason, we haven’t had everyone together, healthy, and on the same page,” said Mendell. “Every good team, you see it takes a while for them to gel. Hopefully we get everyone back and working together as soon as possible.

“We’re really trying to be a top-four team in the NESCAC—we want to be able to host a NESCAC tournament game. We have enough talent to do it, it’s just a matter of everyone working towards the same goals.”