SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Bates College still seeks its first victory of the campaign as the Bobcats dropped a 78-53 decision to Kean University Saturday in the Hampton Inn Holiday Men's Basketball Classic, hosted by Western New England University.

After a Stephen Ward layup put Bates ahead, 31-30, with 4:02 remaining in the first half, the Cougars answered with a mighty 15-2 pouncing over the final minutes to take a commanding 45-33 lead into the break. Kean (1-1) never saw its surplus dip below double-digits the rest of the way, ending the affair with a game-high cushion of 25 points.

Griffin Barker (Seattle, Wash.) paced the victors with 22 points in the win as the fifth-year shot 9-of-17 from the field. Brandon Upshaw (Jr.-Tarrytown, N.Y.) and JD Daniels (5th Year-Newark, N.J.) followed with contributions of 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Cole Decker, making his collegiate debut for the Bobcats, deposited a team-high 10 points, including a pair of three-pointers, in 18 minutes off the Bates bench. Marc Begin II snagged a game-high 10 rebounds to complement his six points for the garnet and white.

The Bobcats will now face SUNY Cortland (0-2) Sunday at 1:00 p.m. in the third-place game of the Holiday Classic.