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.