BABSON PARK, Mass.—Senior Colin Bradanese (Billerica, Mass.) scored a team-high 14 points and knocked down the go-ahead free throw with 3:23 to go as Babson College went on to defeat visiting Lasell University, 70-67, in non-conference men's basketball action on Wednesday night inside Staake Gymnasium.

With the win, Babson improves to 3-0 on the year, while Lasell slips to 0-2 with the loss.

Bradanese led all players with 11 rebounds to record his second double-double of the year, while first-year Rob Crouch (Jacksonville, Fla.) scored all of his season-high 11 points in the second half to pace a balanced Beavers' attack. Senior James Welch (Needham, Mass.) came off the bench to score nine points, first-year Nate Amado (Hanson, Mass.) contributed nine points, seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks, and graduate student Mitchell Kirsch (Atkinson, N.H.) chipped in with seven points and three steals in the win.

Senior Kevin Nunez (Dorchester, Mass.) poured in a game-high 28 points on 12-of-16 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and three steals to lead the Lasers. Graduate student Kevin Vanderhorst (Lawrence, Mass.) added 15 points and seven boards, while senior EJ Day (Norwalk, Conn.) finished with 13 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Down two at the half, Lasell used a 14-6 run that included eight points from Nunez to take its biggest lead of the game at 50-43 on a jumper by Day with 12:33 to play in the game. Crouch and Amado accounted for all the scoring in a 10-2 run that put the Beavers back in front by one less than three minutes later.

The Lasers took the lead five times over the next five-plus minutes before Babson pulled even on a pair of free throws by senior Beau Smith (Germantown, N.Y.) and took a 63-61 lead on a layup by Bradanese one possession later. Vanderhorst forged the 10th tie of the game before Bradanese canned a free throw and then scored off his own steal to give the Green and White a 66-63 lead with 3:05 remaining.

Crouch scored on a driving layup with 1:08 left to keep the Beavers in front by three and Kirsch followed a hoop by Nunez by knocking down a pair of free throws to make it 70-67 with 20 seconds remaining. Lasers' first-year Conan McCusker (Dorchester, Mass.) missed a potential game-tying three-pointer with 10 seconds to go, and the visitors went 0-for-2 at the free throw line with three seconds left.

Bradanese scored nine points on 4-of-5 shooting and took its biggest lead of the game at 21-14 on a three-pointer by Kirsch with 9:37 to go in the opening stanza. Lasell responded with a 16-6 run to go in front 30-27 before Bradanese scored five late points to give the Green and White a 34-32 edge at the break.

Both teams return to action on Saturday as Babson travels to Salve Regina at 1 p.m., while Lasell visits Union at 4 p.m.

GAME NOTES
• The Beavers are 17-3 all-time against Lasell and have won 10 straight games in the series.
• Nine of the 20 all-time meetings between Babson and the Lasers have been decided by five points or less.
• Wednesday's game featured 10 ties and 11 lead changes with neither team leading by more than seven.