BABSON PARK, Mass.—Senior Mikey O'Brien (New York, N.Y.) scored nine of his 11 points over the final 3:48 and visiting Clark University finished the game on a 20-5 run to defeat Babson College, 66-52, in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) men's basketball action on Wednesday night inside Staake Gymnasium. 

Babson, which has dropped four straight games, slips to 5-7 overall and 1-2 in league play. Clark snapped a two-game skid and improves to 9-3 overall and 3-0 in the NEWMAC. 

Junior Nate Amado (Hanson, Mass.) posted a double-double and led all players with 18 points and 12 rebounds, while graduate student Steph Baxter (Worcester, Mass.) scored 16 points to pace the Beavers. 

Junior Bruce Saintilus (Plainville, Mass.) scored 15 points and dished out a game-high five assists, while classmate Kekoa McArdle (Pittsfield, Mass.) added 11 points and nine rebounds to lead the Cougars. 

The Green and White led by as many as five three times in the early going before Saintilus gave Clark its first advantage with a transition layup to make it 13-12 at the 7:45 mark. First-year Quentin Pridgen (Fitchburg, Mass.) scored five points during a 9-0 run that saw the Cougars push the margin to 23-15 with 2:11 remaining in the opening stanza before the Beavers responded with a 15-0 run that spanned both halves. 

Senior John Gorgol (Scottsdale, Ariz.) canned a three-pointer and Baxter followed up a three-point play by Amado with a pull-up jumper at the break. Sophomore Tyler Lauder (Malvern, Pa.) scored inside and Gorgol capped the burst with another triple to make it 28-23 just over a minute into the second half. 

The Cougars pulled even at 35 on a three-point play by Saintilus and got four points from Pridgen and a three-pointer by senior Jordan Richard (Lawrence, Mass.) as part of a 9-3 run to go back in front 44-38 with 12:00 to play. A jumper by Baxter, a layup by sophomore Jeremiah Paul (Los Angeles, Calif.) and two free throws by Amado tied the game at the 7:27 mark and Amado answered a bucket by Saintilus with a three-pointer to put the Beavers in front for the final time, 47-46, with 5:35 remaining. 

The Green and White was down just two after Baxter knocked down a pair of free throws with 4:19 left, but O'Brien hit a baseline jumper, McArdle scored in transition and O'Brien followed up another layup with a three-pointer late in the shot clock to make it 62-50 with 1:38 to go. 

The Beavers shot a season-low 26.7 percent from the floor and made just five three-pointers in the loss. The Cougars shot 53.6 percent in the second half and 44.4 percent for the game and finished with a 42-38 edge on the glass. 

Both teams return to action on Saturday at 1 p.m. as Babson hosts MIT while Clark takes on Coast Guard. 

GAME NOTES
•    The Beavers are now 40-40 all-time against Clark and Wednesday's loss snapped their eight-game home winning streak against the Cougars. 
•    Babson outscored the Cougars 15-13 at the free throw line marking the first time its finished with more points at the charity stripe than its opponent since January 7, 2023, in a win at Springfield. 
•    Gorgol has now made at least one three-pointer in 10 consecutive games. 
•    The Beavers' five three-point field goals are their fewest since making just four in last year's NEWMAC Tournament semifinal victory at Emerson.