Coast Guard used its size advantage to build an early lead, as the Bears surged ahead, 22-11, in the first 12 minutes of play. Sophomore forward Craig Johnson (Medford, Ore.) scored 11 of his 18 first half points during the stretch, while sophomore guard Al Sowers (Monrovia, Md.) netted six of his 12 points in the opening stanza.
Coast Guard would maintain the lead throughout the rest of the period, although Babson pulled to within five, 35-30, on a three-pointer by first-year Zach Etten (Hollis, N.H.) just before the break.
The two teams battled back and forth throughout the second half, which featured nine ties and five lead changes. Johnson hit a jumper to give Coast Guard its final lead, 56-54, with 6:51 left before Babson took control of the contest with a 12-2 run over the next two and a half minutes. Senior captain Brian Parsons (Queensbury, N.Y.) kicked off the barrage with a move on the right post that tied the contest, and junior Brandon Eigenberg (Milford, Conn.) followed with a steal and lay-up to put the Beavers in front, 58-56, with 6:11 remaining. Sophomore Chris Bradley (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) would also hit a lay-up off his own steal during the run, and Eigenberg added another steal and breakaway that gave Babson a 66-58 advantage with just over four minutes on the clock.
Sowers would hit two clutch shots on Coast Guard’s next two possessions, but each time Babson answered with a score in the paint. Etten then knocked down two free throws to push the Beavers lead to nine, 72-63, with just 1:29 left, but the Bears came storming back behind an offensive put-back by Johnson and five straight points by Sowers. That cut the visitors’ deficit to just two at 72-70 with 24.6 seconds remaining, but Eigenberg hit one of two freebies moments later to give Babson a 73-70 cushion.
Coast Guard went for a quick two with less than 20 seconds on the clock, but Johnson’s turnaround jumper missed and Eigenberg came up with the defensive rebound. The junior guard then pushed the ball up the floor to Etten, who held on as time expired, giving the Beavers the 73-70 win.
Four players scored in double-figures for Babson, led by Etten’s 15. First-year Pat Belniak (Sutton, Mass.) added 13 points, while Eigenberg and Parsons contributed 12 and 11, respectively. Eigenberg and Bradley each recorded four key steals in the victory, while sophomore Kyle McDonald (Wethersfield, Conn.) scored eight points for the Beavers.
Johnson was awesome in defeat for Coast Guard, hitting 11 of 14 from the field and 11 of 13 from the line for a game-high 33 points to go along with 10 rebounds. Sowers knocked down six of 10 from the field, including three trifectas, and nine of 12 from the line to finish with 24 points. The Bears were limited to just six offensive rebounds in the contest, only two of which came in the second half.