Men's Basketball at Colby
Tuesday, November 23 | 5:00 p.m.
Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center | Waterville, Maine
SERIES HISTORY
• Babson is 10-16 all-time against Colby in a series that dates back to 1968-69.
• Tuesday's contest will be the first between the Beavers and the Mules since December 31, 2014, and the first in Waterville, Maine, since December 6, 2008.
LAST MEETING
• Joey Flannery '17 poured in 28 points and senior John Wickey '15 added 11 points, 10 rebounds and four assists as 17th-ranked Babson defeated Colby, 72-65 inside Staake Gymnasium. Sam Bohmiller '17 and Matthew Droney '17 added 10 points apiece.
• Luke Westman scored 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting to lead the Mules. Chris Hudnut added 17 points, Ryan Jann scored 15, going 4-of-5 from deep, and Sam Willson chipped in with 10 points in the loss.
SCOUTING THE BEAVERS
• Babson (4-2) rebounded from a two-game skid to knock off NESCAC foe Bates College on Saturday, 82-71, in Staake Gymnasium.
• The Beavers jumped out to a 22-4 lead in the first half, but had to come from behind after the Bobcats battled back to take a 51-49 lead midway through the second half.
• Graduate student Spencer Cline poured in a career-high 31 points to lead four Beavers in double figures. Senior Colin Bradanese recorded his third double-double of the year with 18 points and 10 rebounds to go along with five assists, while sophomore Kieran Dorney finished with season highs of 12 points and six boards. Fellow sophomore John Gorgol added a season-high 10 points and chipped in with five rebounds and three assists in the win.
• Bradanese leads the Beavers with 16.0 points and 8.8 rebounds per outing, and is ranked 11th in Division III with three double-doubles. First-year Nate Amado has averaged 13.0 in his first five games, while Cline is now contributing 9.3 points and senior James Welch has chiped in with 9.0 points and outing.
SCOUTING THE MULES
• Colby (3-1) has won back-to-back games over Thomas College (81-63) and Johnson & Wales (82-72) after suffering its only loss to NEWMAC foe WPI (66-49).
• Junior Noah Tyson led the Mules in the win over Johnson & Wales, scoring 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting, all from three-point range. Junior Alex McGovern and first-year Jack Lawson dropped in 16 points apiece, and sophomore David Basich finished with 12 points.
• Tyson (15.3 ppg) leads the team in scoring while shooting 55.8 percent from the field, while Lawson (13.3 ppg) has connected on 60 percent from the floor. The Mules have balanced scoring as McGovern is good for 11.8 points an outing, and senior Matt Hanna and Basich contribute 9.8 and 9.5 points a game, respectively.
• The Mules played just four games last season (4-0) due to the pandemic, and were 24-4 in the last full season in 2019-20, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1997 after falling to Tufts in double overtime in the NESCAC Championship game.
NATIONAL POLL IN SIGHT
• Both Babson and Colby received votes in the D3hoops.com Division III preseason Top 25 poll. Colby got 57 points, third-highest among those outide the Top 25, while Babson received 8 points, 26th among unranked teams.
NOTHING BUT NESCAC
• Tuesday's contest against Colby is the second of three straight games against NESCAC foes over a nine-day span.
• The Beavers downed Bates last Saturday and will be at home to face Bowdoin next Sunday, November 28.
• The Green and White also has a potential meeting with Tufts at the New England Big 4 Challenge on December 4 and will visit Amherst on December 31 before opening league play.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
• The Beavers are 4-1 at home this season. Babson is 9-2 at Staake Gymnasium over the past two seasons, and 18-4 since the start of the 2019-20 campaign.
A LOOK AHEAD
• After hosting Bowdoin this Sunday, Babson will compete in the New England Big 4 Challenge on December 3-4. Babson will take on host Brandeis on Friday, December 3 in the second game at 7:30 p.m., following the Tufts-Salem State contest at 5:30 p.m. The consolation and championship games are Saturday, December 4.
