BIDDEFORD, Maine – Junior Graham Safford scored a game and career-high 32 points to propel Bates College men's basketball past the University of New England, 72-54, inside Harold Alfond Forum on Saturday afternoon.

Safford (Hampden, Maine) netted 22 points in the second half including 14 during a 17-3 run which gave the Bobcats (4-1) a 63-43 lead – their largest of the game – over the Nor'easters (0-4) with 6:28 to play.

Graham Safford '15 scored a career-high 32 points, including 22 in the second half, for the Bobcats. (File photo by Sarah Crosby/Bates College)

A 6-1 guard and captain, Safford went 8-of-14 from the field, 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, and 11-of-12 from the foul line as he broke the 30-point barrier for the second time in three games, and added a game-best six assists.

Also for Bates, sophomore Mike Boornazian (Portland, Conn.) recorded his second double-double of the season and the fourth of his career with 18 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, and senior captain Sean Cunningham (Amherst, Mass.) contributed eight points and seven rebounds.

Devin Thompson and Justin Pollard paced UNE with 11 points each. Joshua Butler totaled nine points and a team-high nine rebounds while William Abdul-Malak also posted nine points.

Coming out of halftime with a 31-29 lead, the Bobcats opened the second stanza with a 9-2 spurt behind two 3-pointers from Boornazian to stake a 40-31 edge with 16:28 to play. The lead gave Bates its first lead of more than two possessions since it led 14-7 just over seven minutes into the game.

After the hosts pulled within 46-40, Safford hit back-to-back 3-pointers to initiate the team's decisive 17-3 run. Safford knocked down another triple and converted on five free throws as part of the run which gave the Bobcats their 63-43 advantage.

Bates opened the game with a 14-5 edge, but the Nor'easters turned the tables with a 12-3 stretch to knot the score at 17-17 with 9:13 left in the first half. The two teams played within two possessions of one another for the remainder of the opening period and beginning of the second frame until the Bobcats claimed their 40-31 lead.

Next, Bates plays at Southern Maine on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.