Kirkpatrick Hits Game-Tying Three-Pointer, Bradanese Takes Over in OT as Beavers Run Winning Streak to Five

BOSTON—Junior Andrew Kirkpatrick (Winnetka, Ill.) hit the game-tying three-pointer late in regulation and senior Colin Bradanese (Billerica, Mass.) scored seven of his team-high 23 points in the extra session as visiting Babson College defeated Emerson College, 87-79, in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) men's basketball action on Sunday afternoon inside Brown & Plofker Gymnasium.

With its fifth straight win, Babson improves to 14-5 overall and 7-1 in league play. Emerson, which had its four-game winning streak snapped, slips to 12-5 overall and 5-3 in the NEWMAC.

Bradanese finished 10-of-14 from the floor and added six rebounds and two blocks, while Kirkpatrick scored 20 points and dished out four assists to lead four Beavers in double figures. Graduate student Mitchell Kirsch (Atkinson, N.H.) contributed 16 points, six rebounds and six assists, and sophomore Kieran Dorney (Garden City, N.Y.) posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 boards.

Junior Max Davis (Oakland, Calif.) knocked down six three-pointers and led all scorers with 24 points to lead five Lions in double figures. Senior Jarred Houston (Norwood, Mass.) finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and four assists, while senior Nate Martin (Washington, D.C.) and junior James Beckwith (Palo Alto, Calif.) chipped in with 12 points apiece in the loss.

Down 40-39 at the break, the Green and White took its first lead of the second half at 49-48 on a three-point play by Kirsch with 13:19 remaining. There were seven ties over the next seven-plus minutes before Emerson went back in front 65-64 on a triple by Davis with 5:52 to go in regulation.

Kirkpatrick scored twice in the span of three possessions to match the Beavers' largest lead of the second half at 70-67 with 4:31 left, but Davis tied it with a three-pointer then gave the hosts the lead with another bucket at the 2:26 mark before Beckwith extended the margin to 74-71 with 30 seconds remaining. Kirsch cut the Babson deficit to one with a hoop in the paint and Kirkpatrick followed two free throws by Emerson senior Zach Waterhouse () with a three-pointer from the top of the key with 0:06 left to send the game to overtime.

Neither team scored over the first 2:49 of the extra session before Bradanese took over with seven consecutive points, including a three-pointer from the right corner with 1:04 left to give the Green and White an 83-77 lead. The Lions missed their first six shots in overtime and Kirsch canned two free throws with 48 seconds to go to give Babson its largest advantage of the afternoon.

The Beavers shot 48 percent for the game and turned 15 Emerson turnovers into 21 points. The Lions shot 45.8 percent but went just 1-of-8 in overtime.

Both teams return to action on Wednesday as Babson travels to Wheaton at 8 p.m., while Emerson visits WPI at 7 p.m.

GAME NOTES
• The Beavers are 28-3 all-time against Emerson and the winning team has scored at least 80 points in eight consecutive games between the teams going back to 2018.
• With two blocks in Sunday's win, Bradanese has 76 for his career and passed Bradley Jacks '18 to move into third place in program history.
• Babson is 3-1 this season in overtime games.
• The Beavers are 8-0 on the year when scoring 80 or more points.
• In four career games against the Lions, Kirkpatrick is averaging 18.0 points.