WORCESTER, Mass.—Graduate student Mitchell Kirsch (Atkinson, N.H.) and senior Colin Bradanese (Billerica, Mass.) combined for all 14 points in overtime as visiting Babson College rallied to defeat Clark University, 71-68, in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) men's basketball action on Wednesday night inside the Kneller Athletic Center.

With its fourth straight victory, Babson improves to 13-5 overall and is tied for first place in the NEWMAC at 6-1. Clark, which has dropped its last three contests, slips to 14-4 overall and 3-4 in league play.

Bradanese recorded his team-leading fifth double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while graduate student Spencer Cline (Mason, Ohio) came off the bench to add 17 points and four assists for the Beavers. Kirsch contributed 11 points, nine boards, a game-high five steals and four assists, and junior Andrew Kirkpatrick (Winnetka, Ill.) chipped in with 10 points, four dimes and two steals.

Sophomore Mikey O'Brien (New York, N.Y.) finished with 18 points and graduate student Tyler Davern (Webster, Mass.) and first-year Isaiah Taylor (Lawrence, Mass.) both added 13 to lead four Cougars in double figures.

After trailing by as many as 13 in the first half and eight at the break, Bradanese capped a 7-0 run to help Babson pull even for the first time since the opening tip at 52-52 with 3:56 to go in regulation. Cline gave the Green and White its first lead on a three-pointer with 2:50 remaining before Davern and senior Gralen Vereen (Kearny, N.J.) put Clark back in front 57-55 with 1:32 left. First-year Nate Amado (Hanson, Mass.) tied the game with 1:08 to go and the teams traded turnovers before Davern's three-pointer from the right wing bounced off the back iron at the buzzer sending the game to overtime.

Bradanese scored the Beavers' first six points of the extra session for a five-point lead, Kirsch buried a triple from the top of the key and then found Bradanese for a transition bucket to give the visitors their largest lead of the night at 68-61 with 1:22 to play. The Cougars scored on their next four possessions, which included five points at the free throw line to pull within 70-68 with seconds remaining, but Kirsch made 1-of-2 free throws and Amado blocked Davern's potential game-tying three-pointer to seal the win.

Clark knocked down six first-half triples and forced 15 turnovers to forge a 34-24 advantage at the break. The Green and White made just two field goals over the opening nine-plus minutes and O'Brien scored 13 points in the stanza, including 10 during an 18-7 spurt that gave the hosts a 28-15 lead with 4:27 to go in the period.

The Beavers shot 48.7 percent in the second half and overtime and 42.4 percent for the game while finishing with a 42-38 edge on the glass. The Cougars, who scored 24 points off of turnovers, shot just 37.5 percent in the loss.

Both teams return to action on Saturday as Babson travels to Emerson at 2 p.m. while Clark hosts MIT at 3 p.m.

GAME NOTES
• The Beavers are 37-39 all-time against Clark and have now won 13 of the last 14 meetings between the teams since 2014.
• Babson has won 15 of its last 16 games when outrebounding its opponents going back to last year.
• The Beavers are 8-0 this season and have won their last 21 games when holding their opponents below 70 points.
• Babson is now 2-1 in overtime and 3-1 in games decided by five points or less this winter.