Feb. 13, 2008

Box Score

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Babson junior Zach Etten recorded a season-high point total for the second straight game as he netted 29 in a 75-62 victory over MIT in a NEWMAC tilt at the Rockwell Cage on Wednesday night. With the victory, the Beavers moved into second place in the conference at 8-13 overall and 5-4 in league play, while MIT dipped to 12-11 overall and 3-7 in the NEWMAC.

Four days after scoring 26 points in a win over Wheaton, Etten went off again against the Engineers, hitting 10-of-15 from the field, including 3-of-6 from three-point range, and all six of his free throws for a game-high 29 points. With his 12-for-12 performance on Saturday, Etten has now hit 18 straight from the line in the last two contests. The junior guard scored 21 of his 29 in the second half, as Babson outscored the Engineers 48-33 in the final stanza.

Senior tri-captain Kyle McDonald added 12 points and five assists while hitting 5-for-7 from the floor, and fellow senior tri-captain Chris Bradley chipped in with six points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Senior Greg Bush and sophomore Peter Skogg netted eight points apiece for the Beavers, who shot 54.5 percent from the field, including a 64.0 percent clip in the second half.

The game started slowly for both teams, although Babson made the first push after a fast-break dunk by Etten put the Beavers ahead, 21-15, with 5:21 left in the first half. MIT's Hamidou Soumare proved to be a difficult match all night in the post and after posting consecutive lay-ups, the Engineers tied the score at 23 with just under three minutes on the clock. The squads traded baskets down the stretch while senior Will Mroz sent MIT to the locker room with a 29-27 lead after hitting a fade-away jumper at the halftime buzzer.

MIT posted a better field goal percentage in the opening period and enjoyed a commanding edge on the glass, but five of Babson's eight field goals were from three-point range with Kyle McDonald delivering two of those three's to finish with eight points on 3-of-3 shooting in addition to four assists.

Junior Jimmy Bartolotta, who had missed the last two games with multiple injuries and was sporting several bandages, was held scoreless in the first half for the first time since his rookie season and struggled in the early part of the game. Despite the slow start, Bartolotta picked up the Engineers in the second half with 10 straight points on four consecutive field goals as MIT moved ahead of Babson, 46-40, with 12:34 left in the game.

Kyle McDonald scored off dribble penetration to slice MIT's lead to four while Greg Bush scored four straight to tie the game. Etten moved Babson back in front with a three on the Beavers' next trip down although responded with a lay-in on the other end to set the stage for a terrific finish.

With 9:31 on the clock and MIT ahead, 50-49, Etten hit another three to give Babson a lead it would never relinquish. Six consecutive points by Etten swelled the advantage to 62-50 with 4:34 remaining. During that stretch - in which Etten clearly asserted control for the visitors - MIT had seven turnovers and shot 0-for-1 from the floor. MIT would reduce the lead to eight on several occasions, mostly behind the efforts of Bartolotta who came alive in the second half, but the Beavers pulled away with good free-throw shooting down the stretch.

Soumare led MIT with 21 points and 12 rebounds. The junior forward earned his second consecutive double-double while adding two blocks and a steal. Bartolotta closed with 19 points, all in the final 15 minutes, and forced three steals. No other player reached double digits for MIT although Billy Johnson also had a solid all-around game with seven points, six boards and three steals.

NOTE: Taken from an MIT press release.