MIDDLETOWN, Conn. --Facing its second straight ranked NESCAC opponent on the road, Bates men's basketball couldn't sustain its early momentum Sunday afternoon, falling 83–61 at No. 18 Wesleyan inside Silloway Gymnasium.

The opening half featured five lead changes in the first six minutes, with Bates briefly holding a 7–6 edge after a Babacar Pouye three at 18:47. Wesleyan answered quickly behind the hot shooting of Fritz Hauser, who scored 18 of his game-high 30 points before halftime. The Cardinals, thanks to a 31-16 run over the next 15:42, created a cushion of 14 points (37-23) with 3:05 to go before intermission.

Coming out of the break down by 10 (40-30), the Bobcats, highlighted by three-pointers from Elliott Cravitz and Brady Coyne, trimmed the Wesleyan lead to four (42-38) 2:17 into the second stanza. Wesleyan responded with a 9–2 run to regain control at 51–40 with 14:57 left.

Bates pulled within six at 53–47 following a Cole Decker fast-break finish at the 12:01 mark, but Wesleyan answered with a decisive surge, blowing the game open with a monstrous 28-6 sprint to pad its surplus at 28 (81-53) and seemingly close the contest with 3:00 remaining. 

Jamari Robinson followed up his 27-point effort at No. 5 Trinity on Friday by leading the Bobcats again with 18 points, shooting 8-for-14 from the field. Pouye added 11 points, while Cravitz and David Omasombo chipped in six apiece as each landed a pair of three-pointers.

The Bobcats (16-6, 4-4 NESCAC) now return home for the final weekend of the regular season as the garnet and white hosts a crucial playoff-implicating home stand vs. Connecticut College (Friday, 7 p.m) and No. 9 Tufts (Sunday, 1p.m.).