LEWISTON, Maine -- Senior Steph Baxter scored a game-high 28 points and the Bates men's basketball team defeated visiting Husson University for the 10th time in their last 11 tries, winning 82-73 Tuesday night at Alumni Gym. 

Baxter (Worcester, Mass.) shot 12-23 from the floor and grabbed six rebounds, dishing out five assists as well in a terrific performance for Bates (3-2), as the Bobcats pulled away from the Eagles (1-4) in the second half.

Three Bobcats finished in double figures scoring, with sophomore Jahmir Primer (Hempstead, N.Y.) scoring 15 points on 6-12 shooting and junior Stephen Ward (Boston) adding 11 points and nine rebounds on 5-6 shooting. Junior Simon McCormick (Whitefield, Maine) and first-year Brady Coyne (Falmouth, Maine) both chipped in eight points.

Bates shot well from the field, hitting 33-61 shots (54.1%), while Husson finished 24-65 from the floor (36.9%). 

The first half proved to be a back-and-forth contest, with the Bobcats leading by as many as seven at 11-4 early in the half, and the Eagles by as many as six at 31-25 with 4:47 remaining.

But the Bobcats rallied, getting six unanswered points, capped off by a Baxter jumper in the paint with 1:59 left until halftime. 

The teams traded buckets until a Baxter layup with just four seconds on the clock put Bates up 36-34 at intermission. 

The lead stuck, as the Bobcats dominated most of the second half. Coyne set the tone with a three-pointer to open the final 20 minutes and Baxter followed with a layup. The Eagles got no closer than to within five points down the stretch, and Bates led by as many as 16.

Ward's fast-break dunk on an assist from Baxter put the Bobcats up 59-43 with 14:10 left in regulation, causing the Alumni Gym crowd to erupt as the Bobcats used the home court advantage to power them down the stretch.

Husson cut the lead to seven with 3:20 left when Scott Lewis split a pair of free throws. But Baxter had the answer, drilling a three with 2:43 on the clock and putting the Bobcats back up by 10 at 76-66.

Four Husson players finished in double figures, with Justice Kendall leading the way at 16 points on 6-14 shooting. The Bobcats tallied 40 points in the paint to Husson's 26.

Bates is back in action Thursday for a road contest at Babson. Tip is set for 7pm.