BABSON PARK, Mass. — The Endicott men’s basketball team couldn’t overcome a strong first half from the No. 3 nationally-ranked Babson College Beavers, as the Gulls fell, 72-60, Sunday afternoon inside Staake Gymnasium in non-conference action to wrap-up the Babson Tip-Off Tournament.
The Beavers got on the board first with a three-pointer from junior guard Nick Comenale (New York Mills, N.Y.), before Endicott took it’s only lead of the game, up 4-3 with 17:16 to play in the first half.
Babson used a 20-5 run to build a 14-point lead on a three-pointer by senior forward Charlie Rice(Barnstable, Mass.) with 7:56 to go in the opening half and eventually closed out the first stanza with the Beavers’ largest lead of the game—21 points—to head into the break leading, 45-24.
Endicott put together 13-2 run early into the second half, but the Green and White caught fire again and took its biggest advantage of the second half (61-43) on junior guard Chris Lowry’s(Union, Conn.) trey with just under nine minutes remaining to cruise to victory.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Senior guard Kamahl Walker (Worcester, Mass.) finished with 15 points, five rebounds and three assists to lead the Gulls in scoring for the second straight game.
- Senior guard Max Motroni (West Warwick, R.I.) added 12 points and sophomore forward Nick Thibeault (Gorham, Maine) chipped in with a career-high 10 points off the bench.
- Senior guard Stephen Basden (Lynn, Mass.) grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
- Endicott out-scored Babson, 36-27, in the second half.
FOR THE FOES
- The Beavers were led by senior guard Joey Flannery’s (Acton, Mass.) game-high 18 points.
- Comenale finished with 16 points, five rebounds and four assists, while junior forward Bradley Jacks (Fort Washington, Md.) contributed 14 points and a game-high nine boards for the Beavers.
- Senior forward Isaiah Nelsen (North Andover, Mass.) had eight points and eight rebounds.
- Babson is now 34-4 at home going back to the start of the 2014-15 season, including the last nine in a row on the home hardwood.
- Babson out-rebounded Endicott, 43-36.
NOTES
- Endicott is 0-3 against Babson in the all-time series.
- Babson won, 66-56, in the most recent meeting before today on 03/04/04 in the NCAA First Round in Beverly, Mass.
WHAT’S NEXT
Endicott (1-1, 0-0 CCC) travels to No. 24 nationally-ranked Middlebury for a non-conference bout on Sunday, November 27 at 2:00 p.m.
Babson (4-0, 0-0 NEWMAC) continues its slate of seven straight home games to begin the season as Becker comes to town on Tuesday, November 22 at 2:00 p.m.
SALEM STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL WINS
Northhampton, Mass. – Norma Waggett (Saugus, Mass.) led Salem State with 24 points, going 11-for-19 from the field and guard Kaitlyn Bryan (Lowell, Mass.) added 19 points as the Vikings defeated Daniel Webster 78-69 in the consolation game of the Tyler Tip-Off hosted by Smith College on Sunday afternoon. Salem State evens their record at 2-2 while the Eagles remain winless at 0-3.
The Vikings opened up a 10-point advantage on a made basket by Waggett early in the first. Salem State built a 16-point advantage heading into the break, 40-24 as Waggett led all players with 11 first half points.
The Vikings built their largest lead, 58-31 if the third following a three-pointer by Waggett as the junior went 6-for-8 from the field in the second half. The Eagles drew to within six late in the fourth, but a three-pointer by Bryan pushed the lead to nine as Salem State held off a late rally by Daniel Webster for the 78-69 victory.
Saran Kaba (Dorchester, Mass.) added eight points off the bench for Salem State with six steals and a team-high eight rebounds.
Briana Diggs (Washington, D.C) scored a game-high 20 points and 16 rebounds while Kayla Free (Quincy, Mass.) added 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Eagles. Escarlin Reynoso (Lawrence, Mass.) finished with 15 points.
Salem State will play next at Gordon on Tuesday, November 22nd at 5:30 PM.
