GALLATIN, Tenn.—Senior Katelyn Mollica (Foxborough, Mass.) and sophomore Samantha Reale (North Attleboro, Mass.) both scored 14 points and Babson College closed the game with a 17-5 run en route to a 68-57 win over Franklin & Marshall College on Friday afternoon in the Music City Classic at Welch College. 

With its fourth victory over the last six games, Babson improves to 5-4 on the season. Franklin & Marshall has dropped two of its last three games to dip to 8-3 on the year. 

Reale finished 6-of-11 shooting, grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds and dished out four assists, while Mollica made all four of her three-point field goals in the second half to lead the Beavers. Senior Camilla Silk (Medfield, Mass.) posted her second double-double of the year with 11 points and 10 boards and classmate Emily Flynn (Hanover, Mass.) chipped in with 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the win. 

Senior Ally Trebelev (Media, Pa.) led all players with 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting to pace the Diplomats. 

The first half featured nine ties and six lead changes with neither team leading by more than three. The Green and White took a 21-18 advantage on a three-point play by junior Allessia Carlo (Carmel, N.Y.) midway through the second quarter before Franklin & Marshall responded with an 8-2 spurt to go in front 26-23 on a triple by sophomore Kayla McCrea (Allentown, N.J) with 2:17 to go before halftime. 

The Diplomats led by as many as five four times in the third quarter, the last coming at 48-43 on two free throws by Trebelev with 2:41 to play in the stanza. Mollica answered with a three-pointer, Flynn canned another triple to start the fourth and a jumper by Reale gave the Beavers a 51-50 lead, their first since late in the second quarter, with 8:53 remaining in the contest. 

Trebelev answered with a hoop on the other before Babson responded with a three-point play by Reale and four straight points from first-year Julia St. Laurent (Greenland, N.H.) for a 58-52 edge with 4:42 to go. Franklin & Marshall got as close as three with 3:35 left only to see Mollica drain a three-pointer on the ensuing possession. 

Reale followed with a driving layup on the Beavers next trip and Mollica banked in a desperation three-pointer from the right wing to beat the shot clock to make it 66-55 with 1:11 remaining. 

The Green and White shot 54.8 percent in the second half and 42.6 percent for the game while outscoring the Diplomats 32-18 in the paint and finishing with a 44-32 edge on the glass. Franklin & Marshall was just 1-of-14 shooting (7.1 percent) in the fourth quarter and finished 36.2 percent for the game. 

Babson returns to action on December 30 when it hosts Connecticut College at 3 p.m., while the Diplomats visit Drew on December 31 at 2 p.m. 

GAME NOTES
•    The Beavers are now 1-0 all-time against Franklin & Marshall and 4-0 all-time versus Centennial Conference opponents. 
•    Babson is now 5-0 on the year when holding its foes below 60 points. 
•    Going back to the 2020-21 campaign, the Green and White is a perfect 25-0 when four or more players score in double figures. 
•    Friday's victory was the first this season for the Beavers when trailing entering the fourth quarter.