HARTFORD, Conn.—Sophomore Timmy Mulvey (Reading, Mass.) led five players in double figures, but No. 1 Trinity College rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit to defeat visiting Babson College, 71-61, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night inside Ray Oosting Gymnasium. 

Babson, which had its 10-game winning streak snapped and suffered just its second loss in the last 18 games, closes the season at 22-7. Trinity, the defending Division III national champions, improved to 27-2 with its ninth win in a row while reaching the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the third consecutive year. 

Mulvey was 6-of-12 from the floor and knocked down three three-pointers to become just the second player in program history to surpass 100 in a season. First-year Thomas Ferdinando (Andover, Mass.) provided 13 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals, while senior Tyler Lauder (Malvern, Pa.) finished with 11 points, eight boards, and four assists for the Beavers. 

Senior Timmy O'Toole (Milton, Mass.) and sophomore Ryan Frauenheim (Manasquan, N.J.), who led all players with five assists, each scored 10 points in the loss. 

Senior Henry Vetter (Kenilworth, Ill.) scored a game-high 20 points, and classmate Drew Lazarre (West Haven, Conn.) and junior Jared Berry (Danvers, Mass.) chipped in with 11 points apiece to lead the Bantams. 

The Green and White forced five turnovers over the first seven minutes and got points from six different players to forge a 19-12 lead on a three-pointer by Frauenheim with 8:59 to go in the opening half. Babson got back-to-back hops from Mulvey and Lauder to grab its largest advantage of the stanza at 24-16 just over two minutes later, and then withstood O'Toole and Lauder going to the bench for the final 3:53 with two fouls apiece to carry a 31-27 edge into the locker room thanks to five late points by Ferdinando. 

Mulvey capped a 9-3 spurt to open the second half with a three-pointer that gave the Beavers their biggest lead of the night at 40-30 with 14:46 to play, and O'Toole matched it at 44-34 just over three minutes later before the Bantams began to chip away. Berry and senior Trevor McDonald (Natick, Mass.) combined for the hosts' next 11 points to trim the deficit to 46-45 at the 8:12 mark, and Vetter followed with a turnaround put Trinity in front for the first time, 47-46, with 6:46 remaining. 

Lazarre splashed in a triple from the right corner following an offensive rebound, and Berry converted a driving layup, capping the 18-2 run and extending the margin to six with 5:37 to go. Frauenheim drilled a three-pointer and followed up with a jumper on the following possession to get the Green and White back within 54-53  with 3:56 to play, but Vetter responded with a trifecta and senior Jarrel Okorougo (Stoneham, Mass.) scored four straight points as Trinity extended its cushion to 63-53 with 1:22 left. 

Babson got as close as 65-59 on a pair of free throws by Lauder with 47 seconds to go, but the hosts answered by going 4-of-4 at the charity stripe to put the game away. 

The Beavers shot 48.1 percent from the field and scored 16 points off turnovers, but were outscored 16-5 at the free throw line by Trinity. The Bantams shot 61.5 percent in the second half and 51 percent for the game while outscoring Babson 36-26 in the paint and finishing with a 30-24 edge on the glass. 

Trinity will now face No. 9 Redlands either next Friday or Saturday in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. 

About the NEWMAC

The NEWMAC is an association of 12 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with eight Associate Members: Brandeis University (Women's Lacrosse, 2026-2027), New York University (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), SUNY New Paltz (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), and Vassar College (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), while sponsoring 20 sports.