BABSON PARK, Mass.—Graduate student Ryan Cibull (Alameda, Calif.) led four players in double figures with 18 points and Babson College shot 51.5 percent on the way to defeating visiting Clark University, 87-64, in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) men's basketball action on Wednesday night inside Staake Gymnasium.

With its third straight win, Babson improves to 11-7 overall and 4-3 in conference play while Clark slips to 10-8 overall and 2-5 in the NEWMAC.

Senior Aaron Gao (Bridgewater, N.J.) scored 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting to go along with six assists, sophomore Nate Amado (Hanson, Mass.) returned from a seven-game absence to score 15 points and classmate David Cross (Cinnaminson, N.J.) came off the bench to add 10 points and three steals for the Beavers. Cibull led all players with a season-high seven assists, while first-year Tyler Lauder (Malvern, Pa.) pulled down a career-best 11 rebounds in the win.

Sophomore Isaiah Taylor (Lawrence, Mass.) scored 15 points and classmate Kekoa McArdle (Pittsfield, Mass.) posted a double-double with 13 points and a game-high 12 rebounds to pace the Cougars, who had five players score in double figures.

The Green and White built a 10-2 advantage six minutes into the contest and took its first double-digit lead of the night at 18-8 on a jumper by Gao at the 9:48 mark of the opening half. Clark got back within seven on a three-pointer by first-year Reid Neumann (Burbank, Calif.) but Cross scored five straight points to key a 10-0 run that included a three-pointer by first-year Timmy O'Toole (Milton, Mass.) that helped the Beavers extend the margin to 30-13 with 5:33 to go before halftime.

Four straight points by Amado pushed the lead to 19, a triple by Gao made it 41-19 with 38 seconds to go in the stanza and Lauder's tip-in at the buzzer sent Babson into the locker room with a 43-22 lead. Amado, who started the second half with a dunk, O'Toole and Kirkpatrick all buried three-pointers as the Beavers scored on their first four possessions of the second half to push their advantage to 54-30 with 17:12 to play.

The Cougars answered with a 9-2 run to pull within 56-39 on a trey by Neumann but Cross, Amdo and Cibull responded with three consecutive triples to make it 65-41 with 12:45 left. Clark cut its deficit below 20 for the last time a minute later on a three-pointer by sophomore Ian Calabrese (Simsbury, Conn.) before the Green and White countered with a 19-6 run to take its biggest lead of the game at 85-56 with 5:32 to play on Gao's third trifecta of the night.

The Beavers finished 14-of-29 (48.3 percent) from beyond the arc and outscored Clark 36-22 in the paint while holding a 35-32 edge on the glass. The Cougars shot just 38.9 percent from the floor and committed 16 turnovers in the loss.

Both teams return to action on Saturday as Babson hosts Emerson at 1 p.m. while Clark travels to MIT at 2 p.m.

GAME NOTES
• The Beavers are now 39-39 all-time against Clark and have won 15 of the last 16 games in the series going back to 2014.
• Babson has won its last 10 games against the Cougars inside Staake Gymnasium, which includes four straight victories by at least 20 points.
• The Beavers are 18-0 going back to the start of last season when scoring at least 80 points.
• Babson is 5-1 this season and has won 28 of its last 31 games when making at least 10 three-pointers.
• The Beavers are 7-1 on the year when outrebounding their opponents.