MEDFORD, Mass. -- Junior Peter Psyhogeos poured in a game-high 24 points and sophomore Cole Decker added a career-high 16 as the Bates men's basketball team pulled away in the second half to defeat the University of Rochester by a score of 72-62 Sunday afternoon in a game hosted by Tufts University. 

Psyhogeos (Yarmouth, Maine) matched his career-high in scoring as he did a lot of damage from the free throw line for the Bobcats (4-5), making 8-10 from the stripe. He also grabbed eight rebounds, blocked two shots, and recorded two steals. Decker (Pound Ridge, N.Y.) had the best shooting day of any Bobcat, going 6-10 from the floor. He and sophomore Babacar Pouye (Carpinteria, Calif.) both secured a team-high nine rebounds. Pouye had another great all-around game, tallying 11 points, dishing out a career-high seven assists, and blocking two shots. Rookie Sean O'Leary (Norfolk, Mass.) finished in double figures for the first time in his career with 10 points on 4-8 shooting.

With Bates trailing 48-43 and 9:04 remaining in regulation, Psyhogeos hit a jump hook in the lane to trim the deficit to three. Then he recorded a steal on the other end, setting up a Decker layup, which cut the Rochester lead to one at 48-47. Luke Razi answered on the other end with a runner, putting the Yellowjackets back up by three at 50-47 with under eight and a half minutes left.

Psyhogeos went back to work for the Bobcats, hitting a long jumper from the left wing to make the score 50-49. Rochester missed a three on the other end, and Psyhogeos drove hard to the rim. He drew the foul and sank both free throws, putting the Bobcats ahead 51-50 with 7:38 remaining.

They did not surrender the lead the rest of the way. Bates got a stop on defense and first-year Keenan Sparks (York, Maine) hit a runner to push the advantage to three. 

The game remained very tight, with the teams trading baskets down the stretch. A tip-in from Pouye with 4:27 left followed by a Rochester turnover and a bucket from junior Jahmir Primer (Hempstead, N.Y.) extended the lead to 61-56 with 3:54 to go.

The Yellowjackets split a pair of free throws and Pouye drained a pair at the line to extend the lead to six. Then Bates got a defensive stop and Pouye delivered the dagger, draining a three-pointer on an assist from junior Brady Coyne (Falmouth, Maine) with 1:53 remaining.

Rochester got back within six with a three-pointer of their own from Nate Sock, but Psyhogeos made a plethora of free throws to close things out, as Bates won their fourth game in their last five contests.

Logan Jagodzinski paced the Yellowjackets (6-4) with 18 points on 7-13 shooting and nine rebounds. Razi added 10 points on 5-7 shooting.

The Bobcats had a significant edge at the free throw line, making 17-21 from the stripe while Rochester struggled at 8-16. Bates also had a big edge on the glass, with 42 rebounds to 30 for Rochester. As a result, the Bobcats had 16 second chance points to just three for the Yellowjackets.

Bates returns to action on Monday, Dec. 30, when the Bobcats host Saint Joseph's College of Maine at 6 p.m. at Alumni Gym.