NEW LONDON, Conn. - The Bard College men's basketball team has started the 2013-14 season with quite a splash.

After upending tournament host Connecticut College on Saturday night, the Raptors defeated Suffolk University, 85-75, in the Coaches vs. Cancer Tip-Off Championship game on Sunday.

It's the first 2-0 start since Bard joined the NCAA, and it's also the program's first regular season tournament championship since the 2007 Bard Raptors Classic.

Senior Lamar Powell led Bard on Sunday with 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the floor and was named the Most Outstanding Player. Freshman Alex Fabean-Scotch had 16 points and five assists and was named to the All-Tournament Team.

The Raptors never trailed on Sunday, though the Rams (1-1) were always within shouting distance. The score was tied twice in the first half, but Bard was up 44-36 at the break. The Raptors shot 51 percent from the field in the first half, and got 14 from Powell and 10 from junior Siondueh Burnette.

The lead got as big as 12 in the second half, and the margin never got closer than six. A layup by Adam Chick (Northbrook, IL) made it 77-70 with 2:23 left, but a hoop by Chris McNaughton pushed it back to 79-70 with 1:47 to go, and the Rams never got closer. Chick finished with a team-high 20 for the losers.

For Bard, McNaughton and Burnette finished with 14 points apiece. Berk Atuk added six points and a team-high 10 rebounds; Pat Kelly contributed eight points and six rebounds; and Kelly, Fabean-Scotch and Zach Goodman handed out five assists apiece. The Raptors shot 54 percent from the field for the game.

The Raptors don't have much of a break before their next game, at Drew University on Tuesday night at 7.