Jan. 11, 2007

Box Score

WORCESTER, Mass. - Ryan Cain (Webster, MA) paced all scorers with 22 points as host WPI defeated Babson 59-53 in NEWMAC men's basketball action on Thursday evening. The win is WPI's eighth consecutive triumph and improves the Engineers' record to 11-1 (2-0 NEWMAC), while Babson drops to 8-6 (2-1).

The game proved to be a defensive struggle as the Crimson and Gray were held to 20 points below its offensive average while the Babson was limited to just 19 second half points. WPI took control for good with 8:39 remaining, as Ryan Bourque (Nashua, NH) scored on a nifty pass from Cain. That hoop set off a 10-3 run for the Engineers, with four different players scoring for the hosts.

The Beavers controlled the tempo for a majority of the first half, as they stymied the Engineers and led by as many as six points (19-13) with 11:05 left. But WPI was not to be denied, as it fought back to take a brief 21-20 lead three minutes later, courtesy back-to-back 3-point daggers by Cain.

Babson was able to reclaim the lead two minutes later following a basket by Brandon Eigenberg (Milford, CT), but the Engineers held tough and were able to take a one-point, 35-34 lead into the locker room.

Both teams held each other scoreless for the first 3:40 of the second half, before Cain buried a trey from the left side of the top of the key to start a 6-2 half-opening run. WPI led by as many as seven points with 3:46 remaining after Antoine Coleman (Everett, MA) hit the front end of two foul shots to make it 55-48 Engineers.

Zach Etten (Hollis, NH) paced Babson with 12 points and nine rebounds. Kyle McDonald (Wethersfield, CT) and Brian Parsons (Queensbury, NY) each added seven points for the Beavers.

Bourque shared game-high honors with nine rebounds and four assists for WPI. He and Coleman each tallied eight points while Jerome Kirkland (Boston, MA) chipped in with 6 points and four steals.

WPI will be at city archrival Clark this Saturday afternoon at 3pm. Babson is off until Wednesday at 7pm when they travel back to Worcester, this time to face Clark.

NOTE: Taken from a WPI press release.