Chris Beauchamp recorded his season debut with 36 points and Nathaniel Young had 15 points and three blocked shots to lead the Baruch College Bearcats to a 74-63 victory over the Mules of Colby College in a first round game of the New York University (NYU) Tip-Off Tournament on Saturday afternoon at the Coles Sports Center in Greenwich Village.

With the result, the Bearcats advance to the championship game on Sunday afternoon at 3:00 pm to play NYU, which defeated The College of New Jersey, 84-66.

The Bearcats shot 26-of-32 from the free throw line to even their season record at 1-1, while Colby from the state of Maine lose their first game of the season.

With the exception of two ties in the first half, the Bearcats led comfortably throughout the contest as Colby could only get as close as six points (49-43) with 9:37 remaining.

Beauchamp helped the Bearcats stay ahead of Colby with 36 points by shooting 10-of-15 from the field, 11-of-12 from the free throw line, and 5-of-8 from 3-point range to begin his season on a strong note.

Young had 15 points to go along with six rebounds, while Mickey Abbatiello contributed eight points and three assists. Brian McMahonhad another solid effort off the bench with six points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots in 18 minutes of action.

Overall, the Bearcats shot 40.4 percent (21-52), compared to 35.9 percent (23-64) by the Mules who play in the competitive New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC).

Eric Beaulieu led Colby with a double-double of 22 points and 13 rebounds.  

The Bearcats will be playing NYU for the 11th time in team history. NYU leads the all-time series with an 8-2 record.