LEWISTON, Maine—First-year Andrew Jaworski (Tolland, Conn.) scored a career-high 25 points and visiting Babson College nearly erased a 17-point second-half deficit before suffering a 78-75 loss at Bates College in non-conference men's basketball action on Friday afternoon.

With the loss, Babson falls to 5-5 on the year, while Bates improves to 7-3 with its second consecutive victory.

Jaworski was 9-of-16 from the floor to go along with seven rebounds and three assists, while senior Bradley Jacks(Fort Washington, Md.) added 17 points and nine boards. Classmate Nick Comenale (New York Mills, N.Y.) finished with 15 points, five rebounds and four assists, and junior Brandon Johnson (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) pulled down a game-high 10 boards in the loss.

Sophomore Jeff Spellman (Boston, Mass.) led a balanced Bobcats' attacked with 18 points and five assists. Classmate Nick Gilpin (Hampden, Maine) scored 10 points and junior Eli Frater (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Tom Coyne (Falmouth, Maine) both added nine points apiece in the win.

Bates was nearly unstoppable in the first half as it connected on 18 of its first 24 shots, which includes 10 three-pointers, to build a 48-31 lead with 6:30 to go in the opening stanza. Junior Max Hummel (Glastonbury, Conn.) matched the hosts' biggest advantage of the game at the 3:05 mark before Jaworski and Jacks each buried a late triple to get the Green and White within 57-42 at the break.

Trailing 70-55 after a Frater three-pointer with just under 10 minutes remaining, Babson used an 8-0 run to cut its deficit to 70-63 on two free throws by Jaworski with 8:06 left. Coyne answered with back-to-back hoops, but eight straight points by Jaworski brought the Beavers within 76-71 at the 2:40 mark.

Jacks trimmed the deficit further with a layup on the next possession, and Johnson grabbed a pair of offensive rebounds and scored on a put back to get the Green and White within 76-75 with 55 seconds to go. Babson forced a contested three-pointer on Bates next possession, but was unable to attempt a potential game-winning shot after committing a turnover with 6.5 seconds remaining.

The Beavers shot 44.3 percent from the floor, finished with a 44-30 edge on the glass, and held an 18-8 advantage in second-chance points.

The Bobcats, who shot 61.1 percent before halftime, were just 8-of-29 (27.3 percent) after the break. They committed just five turnovers in the win and held a 27-2 edge in bench scoring.

Both teams return to action on Sunday as Babson hosts Johnson & Wales at 2 p.m., while Bates takes on Brandeis at 1 p.m.

GAME NOTES
• The Beavers are now 13-13 all-time against Bates with the home team having won three straight matchups.
• The 57 first-half points allowed by the Green and White is the most in any half over the last decade.
• Since joining the starting lineup prior to the Brandeis game on December 2, Jaworski is averaging 15.5 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 54.8 percent.
• With three three-point field goals on Friday, Comenale became just the fourth Babson player to reach 200 for his career.