LEWISTON, Maine -- Using lockdown defense throughout the contest, the Bates men's basketball team dealt Middlebury its first loss of the season on Friday night in Alumni Gymnasium, 57-53, in the New England Small College Athletic Conference opener for both teams.
The Bobcats (10-2, 1-0 NESCAC) shot only 34.5 percent from the field and 16.7% from three-point land, but held the Panthers to 31.3% shooting overall, 21.4% behind the arc. Bates had a big advantage in free throws, making 16-of-22 (72.7%) while Middlebury made only 5-of-12 (41.7%).
Senior Graham Safford (Hampden, Maine) led Bates with a game-high 20 points, while junior Mike Boornazian(Portland, Conn.) and sophomore forward Marcus Delpeche (Wilmington, Del.) added 12 points and six rebounds apiece. Sophomore center Malcolm Delpeche (Wilmington, Del.) grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds in addition to team highs of four assists and two blocks in a key performance for Bates, which outrebounded Middlebury by a slight 46-44 margin.
Dylan Sinnickson had 17 points and 10 rebounds for Middlebury, the only Panther to score in double figures. Jake Brown added nine points and three assists, while Hunter Merryman, who entered the game averaging over 16 points per game, mustered three points on 1-of-13 shooting from the floor.
It is Bates' second win in a row over Middlebury -- the Bobcats won 64-61 in Middlebury a year ago, but went winless in NESCAC play the rest of the way, while Middlebury tied for third place in the league at 6-4.
Middlebury led 23-17 with 4:16 to go in the first half on a layup by Nick Tarantino (7 points, 2 blocks), but the Panthers were held scoreless for the rest of the half while Bates finished the period with a 7-0 run to assume a 24-23 lead at the break.
Tarantino had all seven of his points in the first half to lead the Panthers in the period, while Sinnickson had six. Safford and Marcus Delpeche had eight points apiece for the Bobcats, while Malcolm Delpeche had already collected 10 boards at the break.
Marcus Delpeche delivered the highlight of the half, and the game, with a thunderous tomahawk dunk from the baseline, off a penetration and bounce pass by Safford, as part of a three-point play for the sophomore forward.
Sinnickson led off the second half with a layup in the opening minute to regain the lead for Middlebury. The teams traded hoops, and Boornazian's third bucket of the half gave Bates a 32-30 lead, which Sinnickson answered with a 3-pointer from the wing, assisted by Jack Daly, for a 33-32 Panther lead, their last of the game.
Marcus Delpeche sank a pair of free throws for a 34-33 Bates lead, kicking off a 10-0 run, as the Bobcats held the Panthers scoreless over a span of 4:32. Three-pointers by Safford (off an inbounds pass from Boornazian) and senior Billy Selmon (Atlanta, Ga.), whom Malcolm Delpeche found open in the left corner, opened up a 42-33 Bates lead with 9:43 left in the game.
But Brown singlehandledly cut the deficit over the next minute, driving for a layup and knocking down a three to make it 42-38. Bates scored six straight in response, but Middlebury answered with an 8-0 run starting with Brown's layup at 6:51, scoring on four straight possessions while Bates suffered a miss and a pair of turnovers. Matt St. Amour made a layup, then fed Merryman for a jumper on an inbounds pass, and fed Sinnickson for another layup to make it a 48-46 game with 5:20 to go.
After a Safford layup made it 53-47 in Bates' favor, Sinnickson followed a Safford turnover with a putback. Malcolm Delpeche missed the front end of a one and one on Bates' next possession, and after Safford rebounded a miss by Sinnickson, he was fouled but missed both free throws, and St. Amour streaked up the court for a quick layup to cut it to 53-51 with 23 seconds remaining in the game. Safford was fouled again but made both foul shots to make it a two-possession game, and after a missed three by Merryman, Safford was fouled again and again made both free throws, giving Bates a 57-51 lead with 10 seconds to go. Brown's layup with four seconds remaining accounted for the final score.
Bates next hosts UMaine-Presque Isle on Tuesday at 7pm.