BABSON PARK, Mass.—Senior Nick Comenale (New York Mills, N.Y.) poured in a game-high 26 points to help the seventh-ranked Babson College men's basketball team defeat visiting Worcester State, 101-52, in the opening round of the Babson Invitational Tournament on Saturday afternoon at Staake Gymnasium.

With the win, Babson improves to 2-0, while Worcester State falls to 0-2 on the year.

Comenale went 10-of-16 from the floor and knocked down five three-pointers for the Beavers. Sophomore Julian Alexis(Somerville, N.J.) finished with 10 points, while senior Tim Hasbargen (Munich, Germany) added nine points and four rebounds. Classmate Frank Oftring (North Attleboro, Mass.) pulled down a game-high seven boards and senior Chris Lowry (Union, Conn.) led all players with six assists.

Sophomore Cal Howes (Maynard, Mass.) finished with 17 points and six rebounds to lead the Lancers. First-year Erik Bjorn (Holden, Mass.) also chipped in with six points and six boards in the loss.

Comenale scored 11 early points and the Green and White used a 17-3 run over the final 5:03 of the first half to build a 17-point lead at the break. The Beavers bench scored 15 of the 17 points during the spurt, including nine by Alexis, and got a runner in the lane from Comenale with five seconds left in the period to make it 42-25 after 20 minutes.

Babson put the game away with a 33-5 run over the first nine minutes of the second half. Comenale scored 13 points during the burst, while Hasbargen and senior Bradley Jacks (Fort Washington, Md.) added eight points apiece as the hosts pushed their advantage to 75-30 with 11:18 left.

The Green and White shot 56.1 percent for the game, which included a 24-of-36 effort (66.7 percent) effort in the second half. The Beavers also knocked down 11 three-pointers and outscored Worcester State 48-22 in the paint. 

The Lancers shots just 23.1 percent for the game and were 2-of-28 from beyond the arc.

Both teams return to action on Sunday against either Endicott or Regis. Babson will play in the tournament championship game at 3 p.m., while Worcester State will be part of the 1 p.m. consolation game.

GAME NOTES
• Saturday's meeting was the first since 1999 and just the third since 1985 between the Beavers and Worcester State. The Beavers now lead the all-time series 6-1.
• The Green and White extended their Saturday winning streak to 39 games with the victory over the Lancers.
• The Beavers are now 21-1 at home going back to the start of last season.