BABSON PARK, Mass.—Graduate student Spencer Cline (Mason, Ohio) poured in a career-high 31 points to lead four players in double figures as Babson College defeated visiting Bates College, 82-71, in non-conference men's basketball action on Saturday afternoon inside Staake Gymnasium.

With the win, Babson improves to 4-2 on the year, while Bates falls to 1-2 overall.

Senior Colin Bradanese (Billerica, Mass.) recorded his third double-double of the year with 18 points and 10 rebounds to go along with five assists, while sophomore Kieran Dorney (Garden City, N.Y.) finished with season highs of 12 points and six boards for the Beavers. Fellow sophomore John Gorgol (Scottsdale, Ariz.) added a season-high 10 points and chipped in with five rebounds and three assists in the win.

Junior Stephon Baxter (Worcester, Mass.) scored 26 points to lead the Bobcats.

Cline knocked down three early triples and the Green and White forced 11 turnovers over the first eight-plus minutes on the way to opening a 22-4 lead with 11:46 to go in the first half. Bates answered with a 21-8 spurt to pull within five on a bucket by Baxter at the 3:59 mark, but the Beavers got back-to-back hoops by Cline and Dorney and junior Matt Corey (Londonderry, N.H.) beat the buzzer with a transition layup to extend the margin back to 36-27 at the break.

Babson grabbed its biggest lead of the second half at 46-33 on a three-pointer by Gorgol from the left corner with 16:15 remaining. Baxter and first-year Taras Fesiienko (Everett, Wash.) combined for nine points to spark an 18-3 burst that gave the Bobcats their first lead of the afternoon at 51-49 with 9:39 to play.

Gorgol answered with a three-pointer and Cline followed 11 straight points as the Beavers regained a 63-55 advantage with less than six minutes to go. Bates got as close as six on a triple by first-year Drew Sachs (Ann Arbor, Mich.) but Cline answered with his fourth three-pointer of the game on the following possession to make it 73-64 with 2:55 left.

Babson shot 42.2 percent from the floor and outscored the Bobcats 19-8 at the free throw line in addition to finishing with 42-38 edge on the glass.

Bates shot 43.3 percent and outscored the Beavers 38-16 in the paint but were just 5-of-20 from three-point range.

Both teams return to action on Tuesday as Babson travels to Colby for a 5 p.m. tipoff, while the Bobcats host Southern Maine at 7:30 p.m.

GAME NOTES
• The Beavers are 16-13 all-time against Bates and have won three straight in teh series.
• Babson achieved new season highs in three-point field goals (9), made free throws (19) and assists (20) in Saturday's victory.
• The Beavers are 18-4 inside Staake Gymnasium going back to the start ofhte 2019-20 campaign.
• Each of Babson's last four wins over Bates have come by double-digits.