WORCESTER, Mass. – Visiting Babson College (14-12) used one of its best defensive efforts of the season to hold host Clark University to just 27 percent shooting as the fifth-seeded Beavers secured a convincing 52-34 win over the fourth-seeded Cougars in the NEWMAC Tournament Quarterfinals on Wednesday evening.
 
Now winners of three straight, the Beavers will now face the tournament's top seed, WPI on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. The Cougars, meanwhile, see their season come to an end with four straight losses to wrap up the year at 12-14.
 
Babson's defense frustrated Clark throughout the contest, holding the Cougars to just one field goal on their first 12 attempts to open the game. The hosts still managed to match the Beavers' efforts early on, however, as a Brian Vayda (Sturbridge, Mass.) inside hoop with a little more than seven minutes to play in the half cut the Green and White's lead to 13-11.
 
The Beavers would take over from that point on, as Clark would only make one more field goal the rest of the half. Meanwhile, Babson exploded for a period-ending 12-3 run highlighted by a Travis Sheldon (Woodstock, N.Y.) three-pointer.
 
After scoring two of the first three baskets to begin the second stanza, the Cougars went cold again, this time going more than five minutes without a hoop. Babson took advantage, scoring seven straight points – all on the back of John Wickey (Manchester, N.H.), who muscled inside for a pair of hoops and then dropped in a three-pointer that made the score 34-18 with less than 15 minutes left to play.
 
Clark got as close as 12 at 39-27 when Vayda found Jonathan Phillips (Shrewsbury, Mass.) for an easy inside bucket, but the Beavers clamped down yet again and didn't allow the Cougars to score for another five-minute stretch. When the dust cleared, Babson had completed a game-sealing 13-0 run that featured three straight strong inside baskets from David Mack (Holden, Mass.), as the Beavers surged into the conference semifinals for the second consecutive season.
 
Wickey led all scorers with 13 points (6-for-12 field goals) and seven rebounds, while Sheldon added 10 points in 22 minutes. Mack was a key factor off the bench, finishing with eight points and seven rebounds in just 18 minutes of action, and junior Kenny Ross (Furlong, Pa.) turned in yet another fantastic performance with five points, five caroms, and seven assists. Senior Russell Braithwaite (Brooklyn, N.Y.) finished a stellar effort with nine points and seven boards for Babson, which held a slight 37-34 edge on the glass and a 30-24 advantage in points in the paint.
 
No player for Clark reached double figures, but D.J. Bailey (Palmer, Mass.) totaled nine points and Vayda ended with seven points and nine boards.

Portions of this story taken from a Clark University press release.

GAME NOTES: Babson's road victory marked the third time in the last four years that the tournament's fifth-seed knocked off its higher-seeded opponent in the opening round - a stretch ironically started by Clark back in the 2010 quarterfinals... The 34 points allowed was Babson's lowest in a game since MIT netted just 32 against the Beavers back on February 27, 2004. In addition, Clark's .277 shooting percentage was the lowest allowed by a Babson team since WPI shot .231 from the floor on January 23, 2008.