Waterville, Maine — The Colby Men's Basketball team built an 11-point second-half lead but a late Bobcats surge proved the difference as the Mules fell 89–84 in a hard-fought NESCAC matchup Saturday afternoon in the Margaret M. Crook Center. Colby is now 12-4 on the season with a 1-2 conference record while Bates improves to 13-3 and 2-2. 

Junior guard Max Poulton had a day leading the way with 25 points, knocking down five threes while adding six rebounds and three assists. Mason Dobie provided a spark off the bench with 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting as well as Matthew Lamy scoring nine. Colby's depth kept momentum rolling throughout the afternoon.

The Mules played a strong first half, shooting 55 percent from the field to take a 40–37 lead into the break. Colby extended that margin to 56–45 at the 16:46 mark after a burst of defensive stops and efficient scoring from Poulton and Dobie. Colby remained aggressive at the line in the highly physical matchup (58 total fouls called), finishing 28-for-35, and held a 34–29 advantage on the boards.

Bates rallied late behind hot perimeter shooting, hitting nine second-half threes to overcome the deficit. Despite the Bobcats' run, Colby stayed within two possessions in the final minutes, with Lamy, Poulton, and Kwiecinski converting key free throws to keep the Mules in striking distance.

Colby will wrap up non-conference play on Tuesday hosting Husson University at 7:00pm.