BABSON PARK, Mass. -- Babson College closed the game with a 24-8 run to defeat the visiting Bates men's basketball team 70-59 in non-conference action Thursday night.
Senior Steph Baxter (Worcester, Mass.) scored 14 of his 19 points in the first half and tied for game-high honors with eight rebounds to lead the Bobcats. Sophomore Jahmir Primer (Hempstead, N.Y.) finished with 15 points and first-year Brady Coyne (Falmouth, Maine) chipped in with 10 points and two steals in the loss.
The Bobcats (3-3) led 51-46 after sophomore Grant Nadeau (Gorham, Maine) capped an 8-0 Bates run by hitting 1-of-2 free throws with 11:25 remaining in regulation. The Beavers (5-3) seized command of the game by outscoring the visitors 18-4 over the next seven minutes. Parker Mason tied the game at 51 with five straight points and Andrew Kirkpatrick accounted for 11 of the Beavers' next 13 points to extend the margin to 64-55 with 4:24 remaining.
Primer broke a scoreless drought of over three minutes for Bates with a pair of free throws at the 3:29 mark but Babson's Nate Amado answered with a jumper on the ensuing possession. The Bobcats were unable to get any closer than eight over the final three minutes as they committed a pair of turnovers over their final four possessions.
The first half featured seven ties and eight lead changes with neither team leading by more than five. The Beavers got back-to-back three-pointers from Ryan Cibull and a bucket from Mark Woolhouse during an 8-0 run to build a 19-14 advantage at the 10:21 mark. Primer scored five straight points during a 7-2 spurt that gave Bates a 36-31 lead before Woolhouse answered with a triple to send the game into halftime with the score 36-34 in favor of Bates.
The Beavers shot 42.2 percent from the floor and outscored Bates 24-14 in the paint. The Bobcats shot just 33.3 percent from the floor and finished with a 44-35 edge on the glass.
Kirkpatrick finished 8-of-15 from the floor for a game-high 20 points and added five rebounds and three assists to pace the Beavers. Amado contributed 11 points, eight boards, five steals, three assists and two blocks, while Woolhouse added nine points.
Bates is back in action Saturday when the Bobcats take on Emory in the UAA / NESCAC Challenge, hosted by Colby College.
