BABSON PARK, Mass.—Junior Giovanna Pickering (Hull, Mass.) finished with 17 points and eight rebounds, while senior Linnett Graber (Roseland, N.J.) recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 boards as Babson College pulled away for a 78-54 victory over the visiting Coast Guard Academy in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) women's basketball action on Sunday afternoon at Staake Gymnasium.

Babson, which has won four straight games, is now 12-5 overall and 8-1 in league play, while Coast Guard falls to 8-8 overall and 5-3 in the NEWMAC.

Sophomore Brenna LeGacy (Attleboro, Mass.) added 10 points and junior Taylor Russell(Braintree, Mass.) chipped in with nine points and nine rebounds for the Beavers. First-yearElizabeth Lane (Skaneateles, N.Y.) also scored nine points in the win.

Senior Meghan Fornaro (Charlton, Mass.) scored 16 points to lead the Bears.

The Green and White trailed by four early but used an 8-0 run, capped by a Russell three-point play, to take a 16-9 lead late in the opening stanza. Coast Guard scored the final six points of the first quarter, but back-to-back hoops by LeGacy helped key a 6-0 run that put Babson in front 22-15 less than three minutes into the second.

The Beavers struggled from the floor in the second quarter, missing 16 of 19 shots, but went 11-of-11 at the free throw line to maintain the lead. The Bears closed to within three midway through the period, but Babson closed with a 9-4 run, including a late three-point play by Pickering to take a 33-25 lead into the locker room.

The Beavers outscored Coast Guard 11-2 over the first 4:36 of the third quarter to open a 44-27 lead on a bucket by Graber. The Bears cut their deficit to 48-40 sophomore Michelle Hernandez's (Folsom, Calif.) second three-pointer of the period with 1:36 left, and got as close as seven on a hoop by first-year Shelby Threlkeld (Buford, Ga.) one possession later. Pickering responded with a three-point play in the closing seconds of the frame to push the hosts lead back to 53-43.

Coast Guard got back within eight on the opening possession of the fourth quarter, but the Green and White followed with a 13-3 run to push its lead to 66-48 on a triple by senior Kristen Ferola(Amherst, Mass.) with 6:42 remaining. Babson shot 57.1 percent over the final 10 minutes and took its biggest lead of the game at 76-52 after consecutive layups by LeGacy with 2:39 left in the contest.

The Beavers, who shot 37.2 percent (29-of-78) on the afternoon, outscored Coast Guard 48-20 in the paint and finished with a 59-45 edge on the glass.

The Bears shot just 26.1 percent (18-of-69) and committed 21 turnovers.

Both teams return to action on Wednesday as Babson travels to MIT at 8 p.m., while Coast Guard hosts Smith at 7:30 p.m.

GAME NOTES
• Babson is now 30-10 all-time against Coast Guard and has won two of the last three meetings between the teams.
• The Beavers are now 10-2 this season when forcing at least 18 turnovers.
• Babson is 5-0 at home this season and has gone 21-4 in its last 25 games at Staake Gymnasium.
• The Green and White has now outrebounded its opponents in each of its 12 victories this season.