BOSTON, Mass. –- The Babson College men's basketball team extended its season-opening unbeaten streak to seven games with a commanding 77-54 victory over host Emercon College at Brown-Plofker Gym on Thursday night.

The Beavers, now 7-0 on the season, used an overwhelming 16-0 advantage in second-chance points and an 18-11 edge in points off turnovers to put the Lions away. Sophomore Matt Palazini erupted for a game-high 20 points - two shy of his career high - on 7-of-12 shooting from the field, including a 6-of-10 clip from three-point range. Junior Russell Braithwaite continued his strong play with 13 points and nine rebounds, while classmate Marcus McDermott hit 4-of-5 from the field, including all three of his three-pointers, and 3-of-4 from the line for 14 points. Senior captain Matt Florio tossed in 11 points to go with three assists, and two steals for Babson, which shot 45.3 percent (24-53) from the field, 55.6 percent (10-18) from beyond the arc, and 79.2 percent (19-24) from the free throw line.

The Lions (0-5) were led by Nathan Firn and Eli Kell-Abrams, who each scored 11 points apiece despite battling foul trouble.

Babson never trailed in the contest, surging out to a quick 19-10 advantage and later leading by as many as 12 after a McDermott trifecta made it 36-24 with 23 seconds remaining in the first half. Emerson's Eric Wahl hit a three-pointer just as time expired to cut his team's deficit to nine at the break, but an 18-9 Babson run over the first seven and a half minutes of the second period put the game away.

The Beavers outrebounded the Lions, 33-22, in the contest including a 19-7 advantage in the first half. Eight of those 19 caroms came off the offensive glass, translating into 12 of the team's 16 second-chance points on the night.

Babson will face its toughest challenge of the year so far this Saturday, when the Beavers take on Tufts University in the semifinal round of the New England Big Four Challenge at Salem State. That contest will begin at 1 p.m. and will be followed by the second semifinal matchup between Brandeis and the host Vikings at 3 p.m.