Babson Handles Emerson for Ninth Straight Win, 73-56

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BABSON PARK, Mass.—Senior Payton Ouimette (Medfield, Mass.) recorded her ninth double-double of the year and led three players in double figures with 16 points and 14 rebounds as Babson College defeated visiting Emerson College, 73-56, in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) women's basketball action on Tuesday night inside Staake Gymnasium.

Babson, which has won nine consecutive games, improves to 11-2 overall and 5-1 in league play, while Emerson slips to 8-5 overall and 3-2 in the NEWMAC.

Senior Téa Spellacy (Belchertown, Mass.) scored 12 points and junior Emily Bonifacic (Allendale, N.J.) added 10 points for the Beavers. Classmate Jacqueline Jozefick (Milford, Conn.) contributed nine points on 3-of-3 shooting and seven rebounds, while Ouimette finished with a team-high four assists in the win.

Senior Charlie Boyle (Scotts Valley, Calif.) posted a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while sophomore Sam Boyle (Scotts Valley, Calif.) scored 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting to lead the Lions. Senior Natalie Busch (Weybridge, England) chipped in with 11 points and junior Quinn Madden (Mokena, Ill.) led all players with six assists.

Trailing 13-11 after the first quarter, the Green and White opened the second with a 13-0 run to seize control of the game. Jozefick and senior Bianca Tomassini (North Branford, Conn.) each contributed a three-pointer, Ouimette converted an old fashioned three-point play, and Bonifacic connected on a pair of free throws to give the Beavers a 24-13 advantage midway through the stanza.

Tomassini buried another jumper after sophomore Christina Bonfiglio's (Westwood, Mass.) trifecta to extend the margin to 29-16 at the 2:38 mark before Emerson closed the gap to 33-24 at the break. The momentum was short-lived however, as Babson scored on five of its first six possessions to begin the third quarter. Spellacy and junior Katherine Tamulionis (Foxboro, Mass.) combined for 10 points during a 12-4 run that extended the margin to 45-30 with 7:02 to go in the frame.

The Lions clawed back within seven thanks to seven points from Busch, but Jozefick drilled her second three-pointer of the night and Spellacy and Tamulionis combined for three late free throws to push the Beavers' lead back to 54-43 going to the fourth. Emerson went without a field goal for nearly six minutes to start the final frame, and the Green and White took its biggest lead of the night at 62-43 following back-to-back layups by Ouimette and a triple by sophomore Katie Jones (Ridgewood, N.J.) with 5:54 to play.

The Beavers shot 39.3 percent but outscored the Lions 17-5 at the free throw line and finished a 43-36 advantage on the glass. Emerson outscored the Green and White 28-22 in the paint but were just 3-of-20 (15 percent) from beyond the arc.

Both teams are back in action on Thursday as Babson hosts Wheaton at 6 p.m., while the Lions travel to MIT at 7 p.m.

GAME NOTES
• The Beavers are now 10-0 all-time against Emerson with nine of the victories by at least 10 points.
• Babson's 18 assists were just one short of its season high achieved in a win over Cal Lutheran back on December 18.
• The Beavers' nine-game winning streak is the program's longest since ripping off 13 straight victories at the end of the 2015-16 campaign.
• The Green and White is now 8-0 this season and 38-4 since 2015 when putting at least three players into double figures.