Jan. 9, 2008

Box Score

WORCESTER, Mass. - The Babson College men's basketball team fell victim to a huge second half by host Clark University on Wednesday, as the Beavers lost to the Cougars, 60-52, in the first NEWMAC contest of the season for both teams.

Senior tri-captain Kyle McDonald paced the Beavers (3-9 overall, 0-1 NEWMAC) with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, while senior tri-captain Chris Bradley added eight points, nine rebounds, and three blocked shots. Junior Zach Etten chipped in with 12 points and seven boards for the Beavers, and senior Greg Bush collected nine rebounds and recorded three steals.

Sophomore Mark Alexander (Providence, R.I.) had 22 points to lead Clark (6-6 overall, 1-0 NEWMAC), while Peter Normandin (Westminster, Mass.) pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds.

Alexander gave Clark its first lead (36-35) since the opening minutes with a basket at the 10:26 mark of the second half. The two teams traded buckets over a 2:23 stretch until Bradley's lay-up knotted the score at 41-all with 7:45 remaining. 

The Cougars went on an 8-3 spurt, with six points from the charity stripe, for a 49-44 advantage at 5:22. Babson pulled to within three on four occasions, with the final time (52-55) coming on McDonald's (Wethersfield, Conn.) lay-in with 1:34 remaining. Senior D.J. Brinn (Madison, Conn.) then drained a long-range three pointer for a 58-52 lead, and Clark, which shot 68.8 % from the stripe, scored the next two points at the line to account for the final score. 

In the first half, Babson raced out to a 14-8 lead on a jumper from Bush at the 11:05 mark.  Clark rallied to get within one (15-16) on a three-pointer from Alexander. However, the Beavers eventually pulled ahead by as many as 10 (25-15) after a pair of free throws by senior Brian MacDonald with 27 seconds left and led 25-18 at the break.

Clark will travel to Coast Guard Academy for a 1 p.m. tilt on Saturday. Babson will host MIT that same day at 2 p.m.

NOTE: Taken from a Clark University press release.