LEWISTON, Maine -- Led by a game-high 27 points from senior Hank Morgan, visiting Hamilton College controlled the tempo throughout as the Continentals defeated Bates College, 74-60, Saturday in Alumni Gym.

The Continentals, playing its first NESCAC tilt of the winter, improves to 1-0 in conference action (12-2 overall). The Bobcats fall to 6-7 (0-2 NESCAC) on the year.

Brady Coyne provided the home team an immediate 3-0 lead as the junior deposited his first of three from long range 42 seconds after the opening tip. Hamilton immediately responded with six unanswered to take a 6-3 lead at the 16:09 mark. The Continentals, who would not trail again the rest of the way, increased its cushion to a game-high 16 points when senior Owen Kane's fast-break dunk made the score 33-17 road team.

Going into the intermission with a 36-27 deficit, Bates would climb to within five in the second stanza as a pair of successful free throws by Chiwer Mayen decreased the Hamilton lead to 46-41 with 14:06 left. The Bobcats would not be able to create any additional traction in the remaining minutes as Hamilton went on a slow-burning 23-13 run to take an insurmountable, 15-point lead (69-54) with just 2:07 to go.

Morgan, who recorded season-highs at the charity stripe by hitting 11 of 12 free-throw attempts, also grabbed a team-best six rebounds in the Hamilton win. Junior Garret Keyhani collected a new personal season-best, going a perfect three-for-three from deep on his way to 15 total points in 24 minutes.

For the Bobcats, Babacar Pouye paced the garnet and white a with his second-straight outing of 16 points. The sophomore shot six-of-eight from the floor, including a trio of three-pointers, and snagged a game-high seven boards during his 29 minutes. Coyne followed with 12 points in 19 minutes on the day.

Bates now prepares to visit Bowdoin College on Friday, Jan. 17 at 7:00 p.m. for the NESCAC portion of the rivals' perennial home-and-home showdown. The Bobcats bested the Polar Bears, 65-51, back on Dec. 3 in Lewiston.