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Feb. 2, 2008
BABSON PARK, Mass. - Sophomore Mark Alexander (Providence, R.I.) hit three clutch free throws in the final minute as the Clark University Cougars withstood a furious late-game comeback by host Babson College en route to a 59-55 victory over the Beavers in a NEWMAC men's basketball matchup at Staake Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon. With the win, Clark solidfied its hold on second place in the conference, improving to 10-8 overall and 5-2 in league play, while the Beavers dropped to 6-12 overall and 3-4 in the NEWMAC. Clark used a 9-0 run midway through the first half to turn a 9-9 tie into an 18-9 advantage, but Babson eventually cut it back to one after a lay-up by senior tri-captain Kyle McDonald (Wethersfield, Conn.) made it 19-18 with 6:43 left. The Beavers remained close for the next two minutes, trailing by only two with 4:21 remaining, but the Cougars erupted for an 11-0 run to build a commanding 35-22 advantage just before the break. Clark later took a 37-24 lead into the locker room. The Cougars continued to add to their lead early in the second half, going up by as many as 20 after a three-pointer by senior Pat Ochoa (Springfield, Mass.) made it 47-27 with 16:18 left to play. However, Babson refused to go quietly, chipping away at the deficit and eventually trailing by 14, 53-39, with 8:19 to go. That set the stage for a thrilling comeback attempt by the Beavers, who embarked on a 16-2 run over the next seven minutes to tie the contest at 55-55. Sophomore Zach Etten (Hollis, N.H.) scored 11 points while hitting three trifectas during that spurt, including one that knotted the score with 1:18 remaining. Alexander put Clark in front for good when he drew a foul and sank both free throws with 54.7 seconds to play. After Babson was whistled for traveling, Alexander again drew a foul and added another freebie to make it a three-point game with 25.2 on the clock. The Beavers then had two chances to tie the contest on its next possession, but Etten's long-range bid from deep in the left corner hit back rim and McDonald's desperation attempt from the right corner came up short as Clark controlled the defensive rebound. Another free throw with 3.7 seconds remaining resulted in the 59-55 Cougar victory.
Senior Pat Landers (Worcester, Mass.) led Clark with 15 points and six rebounds while hitting 5-of-8 from the field. Alexander struggled a bit from the field but made up for it with a strong performance at the line, as he hit 8-of-11 from the line to finish with 11 points, five rebounds, and a team-high four assists. Ochoa chipped in with nine points on 3-of-5 shooting from long range, and senior Peter Normandin (Westminster, Mass.) amassed six points, five boards, three assists, and two steals. Babson was led by an outstanding performance from Etten, who finished with 15 points and seven rebounds while shooting 6-for-12 from the field, including a 3-for-6 clip from beyond the arc. McDonald added 10 points and six rebounds for the Beavers, while fellow senior tri-captain Chris Bradley (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) also had a stellar game in the paint with nine points, 11 rebounds, and four blocked shots. |
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