WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - Bates' Steph Baxter, on the brink of 1,000 career points as a collegian, connected for a team-high 18 points Saturday at #10 Williams, leaving the senior just one point shy of the illustrious milestone. 

The Ephs (17-3, 4-3 NESCAC) defeated the visiting Bobcats, 75-59, snapping Williams' two-game losing streak. Bates goes to 7-12 overall (1-5 NESCAC) after the defeat.

Never trailing in the first half, Hudson Hansen's free throw with 7:30 left in the frame put Williams ahead by a commanding 25-11 surplus. Unfazed, Bates proceeded to scorch its host with a 20-4 run the rest of the way to slice the deficit to a mere two points (31-29) heading into intermission.

Staying hot in the second stanza, Bates snagged its first lead of the afternoon as a Cam Riley (Sr.-North Myrtle Beach, S.C.) three-pointer put the Bobcats ahead, 36-33, 2:34 into the half. A Baxter layup placed Bates up by eight (46-38) with 13:34 remaining, capping a 17-7 stretch for the garnet and white to start frame.

The Bobcats' offense went silent from the point forward as the home team immediately answered with an astounding 20-0 blitz, moving ahead by a score of 58-46 with 6:53 to go. Williams' lead would grow to a game-high 17 at the 2:04 mark when Alex Lee's jumper made it 70-53 Ephs.

Baxter (Worcester, Mass.) hit on seven of his 14 attempts from the floor in 40 full minutes for Bates, while also authoring team-bests of four assists and three steals for the Bobcats. Trace Gotham (Jr.-Medfield, Mass.) recorded 11 points while Elliott Cravitz (Fy.-Denver, Colo.) and Riley (seven rebounds) provided 10 points apiece in the effort.

Three Ephs eclipsed the double-digit mark in the scoring column, paced by Spencer Spivy and his game-best 19 points. 

Baxter now looks to make history this Tuesday evening as the Bobcats trek to Maine Maritime Academy for a non-conference contest. Tip is slated for 7:00 p.m.