BABSON PARK, Mass.—Graduate student Steph Baxter (Worcester, Mass.) tied for game-high honors with 19 points and converted a three-point play with 11.2 seconds remaining to lift Babson College to a 76-75 win over the visiting Coast Guard Academy in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) men's basketball action on Thursday night inside Staake Gymnasium. 

With the win, Babson improves to 8-9 overall and 4-4 in conference play. Coast Guard, which has dropped two of its last three contests, is now 11-6 overall and 4-4 in the NEWMAC. 

Junior Nate Amado (Hanson, Mass.) also scored 19 points to go along with team highs of seven rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots to lead the Beavers. Sophomore Jeremiah Paul (Los Angeles, Calif.) scored 10 points and classmate Mark Woolhouse (Lebanon, N.J.) added nine points on 4-of-4 shooting as well as two blocks in the win. 

Junior Declan Rooney (Seattle, Wash.) registered a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds to lead four players in double figures for the Bears. Sophomore Elijah Parent (Bristol, Conn.) scored 14 points, classmate Mitch Shettles (New Albany, Miss.) added 13 points and two steals and junior Ben Yagey (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) chipped in with 12 points. 

Down 71-63 with under five minutes left, Amado hit a three-pointer from the right wing and then found Paul for another triple from the left corner on the following trip to pull the Beavers within two at the 4:22 mark. Baxter tied the game with a jumper in the paint with 2:47 remaining and Fortes converted a driving layup to put the hosts up 73-71 with 1:51 to play. 

Rooney put Coast Guard back in front by one with a three-pointer from the left wing with 1:04 to go and Yagey made it 75-73 by going 1-of-2 at the free throw line with 18 ticks left. Junior Parker Mason (Portsmouth, R.I.) rebounded his miss on the second shot and Baxter went hard to the hoop and tied the game with a layup before hitting the ensuing free throw to put the Green and White ahead for good. Fortes then came up with a steal with 2.7 seconds to go to seal the victory. 

Amado and Baxter combined for 14 points as Babson built a 16-12 lead just over five minutes into the contest. Four points apiece by sophomore Jojo Chalumeau (Boston, Mass.) and first-year NeJohn Fortes (New Bedford, Mass.) and two free throws by Baxter gave the Beavers' their largest advantage of the night at 26-18 at the midway point of the half before Coast Guard responded with a 17-2 run to go up 35-30 on a three-pointer by Yagey with 2:40 to go until halftime. 

The Bears got eight points from Rooney and Yagey to stretch their six-point lead at the half to 52-43 with 15:18 remaining. The Green and White responded with a 9-2 spurt that included eight points from Amado to pull within two a the 12:34 mark only to see the Coast Guard score on six straight possessions to forge its largest advantage of the night at 65-55 with 8:27 to go. 

The Beavers shot 55.6 percent in the second half and 46.4 percent from the floor for the game in addition to going 17-of-20 at the charity stripe (85 percent). The Bears shot 46.7 percent from the floor and finished with a 37-31 edge on the glass. 

Babson returns to action on Saturday at 1 p.m. when it travels to Emerson while Coast Guard hosts the Lions next Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. 

GAME NOTES
•    The Beavers are 62-27 all-time against Coast Guard and have won six consecutive games in the series. 
•    Babson is now 7-2 on the year when shooting at least 40 percent from the floor. 
•    The Green and White is now 8-5 over the last three seasons in games decided by five points or less. 
•    Babson has won nine of its last 10 conference home games going back to last January.