WENHAM, Mass. -- The Babson College men's basketball team opened its season with a stiffling defensive effort, as the Beavers defeated host Gordon College, 59-38, at the Bennett Athletic Center on Tuesday night.

Eleven different players scored in the win for Babson, led by junior Marcus McDermott's 10 points on 5-of-11 shooting. Junior Russell Braithwaite added nine points while hitting 4-of-6 from the field, and junior Peter Foley and sophomore Matt Palazini added seven points apiece. Foley was the team's high rebounder with eight caroms, junior Alex Rudolph pulled down six boards, and McDermott and senior captain Matt Florio each dished out three assists.

Gordon was paced by David Dempsey, who recorded 10 points and nine rebounds. Luke Hamilton added six points, while Alex Carnes and Cooper Meyer each chipped in with five apiece. The Fighting Scots were held to just 36.6 percent shooting in the contest, while Babson hit at a 44.2 percent clip.

Babson took the lead for good midway through the first half, ripping off 12 straight points to turn a 15-15 tie at the 10-minute mark into a 27-15 advantage with 2:39 to go in the period. Five different players scored during the burst, highlighted by three-pointers from Palazini and Florio. The Beavers eventually took a 28-17 cushion into the break, thanks to a defensive effort that held Gordon to 33.3 percent shooting and forced 12 turnovers in the first 20 minutes.

Gordon clawed its way back to within three thanks to a 10-2 run to start the second stanza, and the Fighting Scots were still well within striking distance at 34-30 after a Carnes lay-up with 11:19 left to play. However, Babson put the contest out of reach with a decisive 20-3 burst over the next seven-plus minutes, highlighted by a McDermott-to-Braithwaite dunk that resulted in a three-point play at the 8:26 mark. The run gave the Beavers a 54-33 lead that they would not relinquish as they coasted to the 59-38 victory.