BABSON PARK, Mass. – Nationally-ranked Babson College used a suffocating defensive effort to hold visiting archrival Wellesley College to just 23 points as the Beavers defeated the Blue, 65-23, in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) contest at Staake Gymnasium on Tuesday night.

With its 68th consecutive victory against league competition, Babson, ranked 22nd in the nation by D3hoops.com and 20th by USA Today, improved to 7-0 overall and 3-0 in the NEWMAC. It was the Beavers' 11th straight win against crosstown rival Wellesley, which dropped to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in conference play.

Sophomore Nikki Heavern (Hull, Mass.) led all players with 12 points while also grabbing five rebounds for Babson, while fellow sophomore Mary O'Connor (Middletown, R.I.) tossed in nine points while hitting 4-of-6 from the field. Senior captain Allanah Wynn (Quincy, Mass.) and first-year Briana Hunt (Auburndale, Mass.) combined to shoot a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor to finish with eight and seven points, respectively, and first-year Megan Otto (Scituate, Mass.) tossed in six points to go with seven boards. Senior captain Sarah Collins (Weymouth, Mass.) saw her double-double streak come to an end at six games, although the All-American center still finished a stellar all-around effort with seven points, seven rebounds, five assists, and two blocked shots.

Wellesley was led by sophomore Morgyne Weaver (Oklahoma City, Okla.), who shot 4-for-8 to finish with eight points, and first-year Chelsi Scott (Portland, Mich.), who added five points and three rebounds. No other player scored more than three points for the Blue, who also received a team-high five rebounds from senior Ashleigh Sargent (Bedford, N.H.).

Babson controlled the game from the outset, holding Wellesley to just 12 points on 27.8 percent shooting (5-for-18) in the first half of play. The Beavers opened with a 16-4 run that featured four points apiece from O'Connor and first-year Linnett Graber (Roseland, N.J.), and later pushed their lead to 15 at 27-12 on a put-back by Heavern just before the half.

The hosts continued to pull away in the second half, opening with an 11-0 run that was fueled by five straight points from Hunt and conventional three-point plays by both Wynn and Collins. That made it a 38-12 affair and Wellesley would get no closer than 24 the rest of the way as the Beavers cruised to the 65-23 win.

Babson will hit the road for its final NEWMAC game of the semester, as the Green and White play at Wheaton this Friday at 7 p.m. The Blue also return to action on Friday when they host conference foe Clark at 7 p.m.