Men's Basketball vs. Emerson
Wednesday, January 29 | 7 p.m.
Staake Gymnasium | Babson Park, Mass.
SERIES HISTORY
• Babson is 25-3 all-time against Emerson in a series that dates back to the 1951-52 campaign.
• The Beavers and Lions split last year's season series with both teams winning at home.
• Babson has won 13 of its last 14 games against Emerson since 2011.
LAST MEETING
• Junior Andrew Jaworski scored a game-high 25 points and senior Jack Coolahan added 22 points as the Beavers defeated Emerson, 90-69, on February 13, 2019, in Babson Park.
• Senior Shyheim Ulrickson chipped in with 13 points and six assists for the Beavers, who opened the second half on a 16-2 run and delivered head coach Stephen Brennan his 400th career win.
• Sophomore Zach Waterhouse scored 20 points and Geoffrey Gray added 19 points, eight boards and six assists for the Lions.
SCOUTING THE LIONS
• Emerson (11-6, 4-2 NEWMAC) has won three of its last four games and is coming off a 97-83 victory over Wheaton on Saturday.
• Senior Jack O'Connor led four players in double figures with 24 points and James Beckwith came off the bench to score 19 for the Lions, who shot 53.4 percent as a team.
• O'Connor (18.2 pts, 8.1 reb, 3.0 ast) has scored at least 20 points in four of six conference games, Waterhouse is averaging 14.0 points and 3.9 rebounds, and sophomore Jarred Houston (13.7, 8.9 reb) ranks eighth in Division III shooting 66.2 percent.
• Emerson ranks first in the NEWMAC in made free throws per game (15.8) and attempts per game (21.2).
SCOUTING THE BEAVERS
• No. 23 Babson (14-3, 4-2 NEWMAC) defeated MIT, 72-52, for its second consecutive win on Saturday.
• Coolahan was 10-of-15 shooting and scored 18 of his 24 points in the first half for the Beavers, who shot 53.3 percent as a team.
• Coolahan (17.9 pts, 4.4 reb) is shooting 55.2 percent from the floor, Jaworski (16.8 pts, 6.4 reb) is averaging 21.0 points in league play, and junior Crew Ainge (11.1 pts, 4.8 ast, 4.3 reb) ranks third in the NEWMAC in assists and fourth in steals.
• The Green and White ranks sixth in Division III committing just 10.1 turnovers and is 10th in the country in field goal percentage (50.1).
CONFERENCE HONORS FOR COOLAHAN
• After averaging 24.5 points on 59.4 percent shooting in two wins last week, Coolahan was selected as the NEWMAC Offensive Player of the Week on Monday afternoon.
• The third Babson player this winter to earn offensive player of the week accolades, Coolahan ranks second in the league in both points per game (22.5) and field goal percentage (60.7).
• Coolahan also ranks as the fourth most efficient player across Division I, II and III among players with at least 200 possessions according to Synergy.
FILLING IN NICELY
• Sophomore Colin Bradanese continues to thrive as a member of the starting lineup, highlighted by Saturday's 14-point effort on 7-of-8 shooting in just 15 minutes.
• In five games as a starter this winter, Bradanese is averaging 16.6 points on 66.7 percent shooting in addition to grabbing 5.0 rebounds.
DEFENSE RETURNS
• After allowing 87.3 points and 1.09 points per possession over its first four NEWMAC contests, the Green and White limited Wheaton and MIT to just 51.5 points in two wins last week.
• The Beavers held the Lyons and Engineers to just 33.9 shooting overall and just 13.5 percent (5-of-37) from beyond the arc, and allowed just 0.69 points per possession.
NUMBER TO KNOW
• The Beavers are 12-0 this season when holding their foes below 50 percent shooting.
