BABSON PARK, Mass. -- Timmy Mulvey scored a game-high 22 points and Thomas Ferdinando added 20 more as host Babson topped the MIT men's basketball team, 61-49, in a hard-fought NEWMAC match up on Wednesday night at Staake Gymnasium. Parker Spann recorded his second double-double in his past four games for MIT, dropping in 13 points and pulling down 10 rebounds.
THE BASICS:
- Score: Babson 61, MIT 49
- Records: Babson 18-6 overall (12-3 NEWMAC); MIT 6-18 overall (2-13 NEWMAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The first half featured nine lead changes and nine tie scores, as neither team led by more than one possession through the opening 20 minutes.
- Trailing by three with 3:02 to play before the half, MIT's Mike Ewing knocked down a three to tie the contest. Babson moved back ahead following a Foster Vaughn layup at 2:10 but Spann hit the first of two free throws inside the final minute to pull MIT back within one, 28-27. Spann then knocked down a jumper after MIT retained possession following a miss on his second free throw to give the Engineers a 29-28 lead.
- Babson used an 11-0 run that stretched from the end of the first half through the opening 2:20 of the second half to take control of the scoreboard.
- Ferdinando opened the run with a triple that gave Babson a 31-29 lead at the break. Logan Murphy then opened the second half with threes on back-to-back Babson possessions before Mulvey canned a jumper at 17:40 to give the hosts a 39-29 lead.
- Isaac Dobie put an end to the run with a layup at 16:44 but MIT went cold over the next nearly four minutes, going without a bucket until a fast break layup from Woods Windham at 12:49 pulled MIT back within eight, 41-33.
- The Engineers worked the lead back down to five at 11:31, as Spann dropped in a layup on a feed from Samuel Chen to make the score 42-37.
- Unfortunately for MIT, Babson would work the lead into double figures over the remainder of regulation.
- The Beavers never trailed after halftime, leading by as many as 17 points when Ferdinando hit two free throws with 59 seconds left.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Dobie scored a team-high 14 points for MIT and is now 19 points shy of 1,000 in his MIT career (981).
- The MIT bench outscored Babson, 14-5, thanks to a balanced effort that included six points from both Ewing and Windham.
- The three-point shot made the difference for Babson as the hosts hit on 11-of-29 attempts (37.9%) while MIT knocked down just 4-of-15 (26.7%) attempts.
UP NEXT:
- MIT returns home to Rockwell Cage to close out the season with a 1:00 PM contest against Coast Guard.
- Saturday's game is Senior Day with the ceremony scheduled to take place prior to tip-off.
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