CLINTON, N.Y. – Hamilton College's
Garret Keyhani '26 scored a team-high 15 points, while
Matthew Rideout '27 and
David Melson '29 added 14 points apiece and the Continentals earned a 74-69 win over the Bates College Bobcats in their NESCAC opener on Hamilton's Tom Murphy Court inside Margaret Bundy Scott Field House on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 11.
Season Update
- Hamilton (4-10 overall) played its first NESCAC game of the season. The Continentals improved to 3-3 at home.
- Bates (11-3) dropped to 0-2 in NESCAC play. The Bobcats fell at Amherst by a score of 71-50 in their conference opener on Jan. 9.
How It Happened
- The Bobcats recorded all of their made 3s in the first half, shooting 5-of-13 from deep in the first 20 minutes. Hamilton jumped out to a 7-0 lead with a layup and a 3-pointer from Rideout sandwiched around a jumper in the paint from Jalen Reese '27.
- Bates' Peter Psyhogeos knocked down his second 3-pointer of the first half with 14:15 remaining to tie the score at 12-12.
- Bates' Keenan Sparks drove to the basket in transition and scored a layup to give the Bobcats their first lead of the game at 16-15 with 11:40 left in the first half.
- Bates build a 22-17 lead with 9:03 left in the first following a 10-2 run that was capped by a fadeaway jumper in the paint from Babacar Pouye.
- Hamilton tied the score at 27-27 with 2:46 left in the first half following a 5-0 burst via a putback from Omar Kulenovic '28 and a wing 3-pointer from Jack Stowell '27.
- Bates scored the next four points, then Reese scored two consecutive baskets for the Continentals to tie the game at 31-31 with 20 seconds left in the first half.
- Babacar scored the final basket of the first half with three seconds on the clock to give the visitors a 33-31 advantage at the intermission.
- After shooting a combined six free throws in the first half, the two sides got to the line more often during the final 20 minutes. Hamilton shot 13-of-16 from the line in the second half, compared to 10-of-14 for Bates. Hamilton shot 13-of-26 (50%) from the field in the second half, and 4-of-8 (50%) from 3-point range.
- Keyhani and Nate Raub '27 knocked down 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions early in the second half to give Hamilton a 42-39 lead with 17:29 remaining.
- The first 10 minutes of the second half featured three ties and five lead changes. The Continentals regained the lead at 48-47 following a jumper from Melson with 11:34 remaining, and stayed in front for the remainder of the contest.
- Hamilton grabbed its largest lead of seven for the fifth time at 71-64 with 1:56 remaining in the second half following two made free throws from Melson.
- Babacar went on a personal 5-0 run with three free throws and a layup to cut Bates' deficit to 71-69 with 27 seconds remaining.
- Melson was fouled and sank one free with 22 seconds on the clock. Hamilton got a stop at the other end, then Rideout drained two free throws with four seconds remaining to ice the game.
Notes
- Keyhani scored in double figures for the fourth time in five games played this season.
- Rideout scored in double figures for the fifth straight game, and the 12th time this season. He ranks seventh in the NESCAC in scoring with 15.3 points per game.
- Reese totaled nine points, a team-high seven rebounds, a season-high tying five assists, two blocks and one steal. He is second in the NESCAC in blocks per game with 1.6, and fourth in rebounds with 9.0.
- Raub and Stowell chipped in seven points apiece. Raub added five rebounds and three assists, while Stowell registered a game-high three steals.
- Hamilton shot a season-best 77.8% from the line. The Continentals' 74 points is their third-highest total in a game this season.
- Hamilton has won its last five games against Bates dating back to the 2021-22 season.
- Babacar led all scorers with 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 from the line. He also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
- Psyhogeos finished with 17 points, while Sparks provided 11 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Next Game
Hamilton will continue NESCAC play at Wesleyan University (11-4, 2-0 NESCAC) on Friday, Jan. 16.
