Colby men’s basketball opened up the 2011-2012 season on Nov. 20 with a 74-63 loss to Baruch College at the New York University (NYU) tournament in New York, N.Y. The Mules were unable to secure their first victory the next day in a consolation game against The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), falling 59-45.

Senior tri-captain Eric Beaulieu netted 22 points and a game-high 13 rebounds in the opener against Baruch. Fellow senior tri-captain Ben Foreman was the only other Mule in double figures, finishing with 12 points. First-year Connor O’Neil, making his first start, scored nine points in the loss.

Baruch’s Chris Beauchamp, who poured in 36 points, outshined the Mules, but struggled the next day, shooting just 3-13 from the field as Baruch fell to NYU in the tournament final.

Despite a strong performance from the duo of Beaulieu and Foreman, Colby fell in the consolation game to TCNJ the next day. TCNJ’s balanced attacked, with three players in double figures, was led by Kyle Cancillieri’s 16 points. Foreman was the only Mule in double figures with 16 points, while Beaulieu netted nine and grabbed 15 rebounds. With his double-double average, Beaulieu was named to the all-tournament team.

This season marks the first time in four decades that the Mules will be led by somebody other than the legendary Dick Whitmore. Damien Strahorn ’02, who played under Whitmore and previously coached at Plymouth State University, takes over as head coach. He’s joined by Damian Farley and Nelson Albino. Farley most recently coached at Clarkson University as the top assistant, while Albino served as the Director of Basketball Operations at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

If the first two games on the season are any indication, Colby will need to step up its offensive production. Christian Van Loenen ’11 and Mike Russell ’11 carried the scoring load last season, averaging 16 and 13.4 points per game, respectively. With them gone, Beaulieu, Foreman and fellow senior tri-captain Kyle Donovan will be expected to pick up the slack.

On Tuesday, Nov. 29, Colby earned its first win over Fisher College, 73-51. The win marked Strahorn’s first as the Mules’ head coach. Foreman scored 20 points, including four three-pointers. Donovan turned in an all-around effort with nine points, four steals, seven rebounds and five assists. Junior Gordon Fischer added 10 points and a tied the team-high with seven rebounds. First-year Shane Rogers contributed eight points and five assists, good for a share of the team lead.

The Mules’ first home game of the season is Friday at 7 p.m. versus the University of Maine at Fort Kent in the Colby Invitational. Colby has four games to improve before its first New England Small College Athletic Conference opponent, Bowdoin College, comes to town next Friday, Dec. 2.