Box Score BABSON PARK, Mass.—Sophomore Joey Flannery poured in a game-high 28 points and became the first sophomore in program history to surpass 1,000 points for his career as sixth-ranked Babson College cruised past the Coast Guard Academy, 66-51, in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) men's basketball action on Wednesday night at Staake Gymnasium.
With its 10th consecutive victory, Babson (22-2, 12-1 NEWMAC) matched the 1968-69 team for the best start in program history, and clinched its first league regular-season title since 2004. Coast Guard drops to 6-18 overall and 2-11 in conference play.
Flannery, who scored 18 points in the first half, went 12-of-16 from the field, and grabbed three boards. Senior John Wickey added 12 points and six rebounds, while freshman Bradley Jacks contributed nine points and a game-high seven boards for the Beavers.
Junior Kevin Alvarzez led the Bears with nine points, three rebounds and three steals. Freshman Ethan Boose finished with eight points, while senior David Anderson and freshman Micah Baldez both scored seven points in the loss.
Coast Guard hung with the No. 6 Beavers for the first 15 minutes until Babson ripped off a 21-2 run over the final 5:24 of the first half to take control of the game. Flannery scored 14 points during the spurt, including an emphatic dunk in transition to reach 1,000 points and give the Beavers a 20-14 lead with 4:35 to go in the stanza.
Following a Coast Guard turnover and a timeout, sophomore Sam Bohmiller connected on a three-pointer from the right wing to push the lead to nine.
Alvarez scored on the Bears' next possession, but Flannery knocked down back-to-back three-pointers, and then followed a layup by Wickey with a hoop of his own to give the Green and White a 35-16 halftime lead.
Jacks opened the second half with a three-point play, and Flannery and Bohmiller answered a layup by Anderson with consecutive buckets to give the Beavers their biggest lead of the night at 42-18 with 16:55 to play.
Coast Guard countered with a 16-6 run though, getting three-pointers from Anderson, Baldez and freshman Darius Adams, as well as a three-point play from classmate Zak Bradley to pull within 48-34 with just under nine minutes to play.
Flannery stopped the run though, knocking down a mid-range jumper, and then following a layup by Jacks with a three-point play to push Babson back in front 55-36 with 5:09 remaining in the game.
The Beavers shot 50 percent (27-of-54) from the field, and outscored the Bears, 38-22, in the paint. The Green and White also scored 26 points off 17 Coast Guard turnovers, and enjoyed a 38-29 edge on the glass.
The Bears shot just 36 percent (18-of-50) from the floor and 52.9 percent at the free throw line.
Coast Guard will host Springfield on Saturday at 3 p.m. on Senior Day as Anderson and Eli Sponseller will play the final game in their careers.
