SPRINGFIELD, Mass.—Springfield College shot a season-best 53.7 percent and used a 15-0 second-half run to defeat visiting Babson College, 70-52, in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) men's basketball on Saturday afternoon inside Blake Arena. 

Babson has now dropped three of its last four games to slip to 13-9 overall and 7-6 in conference play. Springfield has won three of its last four contests to improve to 9-12 overall and 6-6 in the NEWMAC. 

Senior Nate Amado (Hanson, Mass.) posted a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Beavers, who shot a season-worst 29.5 percent in the loss. Graduate student Felix Kloman (Ipswich, Mass.) scored eight points and classmate Alex Stoddard (Wellesley, Mass.) contributed seven points, eight boards and a career-high four blocks. 

Graduate student Jaron Flynn (Roslindale, Mass.) scored 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting to go along with five rebounds, two assists and two steals, while first-year Cedric Rodriguez (Burlington, Mass.) finished with 13 points and five boards to lead the Pride. Senior Josh Hartley (Brooklyn, N.Y.) provided 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting off the bench and junior John Paulino (New Bedford, Mass.) and sophomore Rashard Samuels (Upper Marlboro, Md.) tied for game-high honors with four assists in the victory. 

The Green and White made just three field goals over the first nine minutes but were within 14-10 after a bucket by first-year Vaughn Foster (Paramus, N.J.) at the 10:46 mark. Sophomore NeJohn Fortes (New Bedford, Mass.) cut the deficit to four again just over two minutes later before Springfield scored on five consecutive possessions to extend the margin to 29-15 on a layup by senior Curtis Blische (Barkhamstead, Conn.) with 5:44 to go before halftime. 

The Beavers got two free throws from Amado and a jumper by Kloman to pull within 34-23 at the break and opened the second half with a 12-5 spurt to get as close as 39-35 on a three-pointer by Stoddard with 13:27 remaining. The Pride responded by holding Babson without a field goal over the next five-plus minutes while going on a 15-0 run to put the game away. 

Rodriguez got the spurt started with a triple, Hartley scored a pair of hoops in the paint and Reece Samuels (Upper Marlboro, Md.) buried a pair of three-pointers extending the margin to 54-35 with 9:10 to go. The Green and White would get no closer than 14 the rest of the way as the Springfield lead swelled to as many as 22 at 69-47 on a Reece Samuels jumper with under three minutes remaining. 

The Beavers finished just 7-of-29 (24.1 percent) from beyond the arc and scored 18 points off of 16 turnovers by the Pride. Springfield shot 56 percent from the floor in the first half and outscored the Green and White 48-20 in the paint. 

Both teams are back in action on Wednesday as Babson hosts Wheaton at 5:30 p.m., while Springfield takes on Coast Guard at 7:30 p.m. 

GAME NOTES
•    The Beavers are now 31-44 all-time against Springfield and the teams have split the regular season series in each of the last two seasons.
•    Prior to Saturday's loss, Babson was 10-1 when allowing 70 points or fewer this season.
•    The Beavers' 52 points in Saturday's loss are their fewest in the last 36 games going back to last season. 
•    Babson is now just 6-7 in its last 13 NEWMAC road games going back to January 27 of last year.