BABSON PARK, Mass. – After two overtimes, the No. 3 Amherst College men's basketball team prevailed in a thrilling non-conference road win over No. 19 Babson College Thursday night, 103-96, as senior swingman Connor Green recorded a game-high 39 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the impressive double-double.

RECORDS
Amherst: 7-0
Babson: 6-3

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Amherst trailed by as much as 11 points in the second half, but responded to force double overtime, on the road, in a game that featured eight lead changes and seven ties.
• In a very evenly matched contest, Amherst shot 44.4% (32-72) from the floor, while Babson went 43.9% (36-82).
• Green, whose career-high is 42 points, shot 12-of-22 from the floor and 6-of-13 from three-point range. He was joined in double-figures by five others – David George'17 (14 pts), Johnny McCarthy '18 (13 pts), Jayde Dawson '18 (12 pts), Jeff Racy '17 (11 pts) and Eric Conklin '17 (10 pts). George also blocked four shots, and Dawson dished out five assists.
• Babson was led by Isaiah Nelsen and Joey Flannery, who both posted double-doubles. Nelsen finished with 29 points and 10 rebounds, and Flannery recorded 28 points and grabbed 12 boards. Matthew Droney and Nelsen registered five and four assists, respectively.

FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS

• Amherst jumped out to a 7-0 lead, capped off by a three-pointer from Green, but the Beavers responded with six-straight of their own to cut the deficit to one with 15:22 to play in the first.
• At the 8:24 mark, a lay-up by Charlie Rice gave Babson its first lead of the game as it went up, 23-22.
• The game went back-and-forth the rest of the half with five lead changes and two ties in the final 8:05 to play.
• With just under a minute left before the break, a dunk by Flannery put Babson back up as the home team took a 35-34 lead into the locker room.

SECOND HALF HIGHLIGHTS

• After a basket by George at the 17:07 mark cut the deficit to three, 43-40, Babson went on a 10-2 run in less than five minutes to grab its biggest lead of the game, up 11.
• Amherst, however, went on a run of its own and got within one after Dawson went to the line to shoot three, and made all three.
• The visitors took their first lead of the second half with just 48 seconds remaining in regulation after a jumper by Green put Amherst ahead, 77-76.
• Flannery responded with a pair of free throws to give the home team a one-point advantage, but Green knotted the game at 78-78 with four seconds left to send the game into overtime.

OVERTIME HIGHLIGHTS

• The first overtime featured some more back-and-forth play until the Beavers went up by four, 86-84 with 1:53 to play.
• However, after consecutive three-pointers by Racy and Green, Amherst evened the contest at 90-90 with 41 seconds remaining, as neither team would score in the closing seconds en route to a second OT.
• Riopel hit the first basket in the final overtime period – a three-pointer – after 1:26 of scoreless action.
• Amherst led by four in the closing seconds but Flannery hit one from downtown to cut the deficit to one with 19 seconds remaining. However, the visitors put the game away from the foul line to claim the 103-96 thrilling victory.

UP NEXT

• Amherst has one day off before returning to the court Saturday, Dec. 12. The Purple & White will remain on the road and will face Lasell at 3 p.m.
• Babson is off for two weeks and will return to the court Friday, Dec. 31 to play at Bates. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m.