AMCATS hold on for victory in season opener

PAXTON, Mass. – Sophomore Anthony Click (Springfield, Mass.) scored a team-high 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the floor to help lead the Anna Maria College men's basketball team to an 80-74 victory over Newbury College during their season opener at The Fuller Activities Center on Tuesday night. The win gets the AMCATS' season off on the right foot, improving their record to 1-0, while the Nighthawks fall to 0-1.
Click led the AMCATS, adding six rebounds and two blocks to go along with his team-high 22 points on the night. Junior Brad Peterson (North Kingstown, R.I.) also had a strong game, posting 16 points and eight rebounds, while senior Chris Pinsonault (Marlboro, Mass.) chipped in with 12 points, five rebounds, and three steals in the win. The Nighthawks were paced by sophomore Timothy Young (Brockton, Mass.) who dropped a game-high 33 points, hitting 11-of-20 shots from the floor, including 5-of-7 from downtown. Freshman Peterson Bernard (Boston, Mass.) had a solid showing in his first collegiate game, scoring 16 points and grabbing seven rebounds, while freshman Kwame Thompson (Brockton, Mass.) added 11 points on the night. The Nighthawks looked good out of the gate, building a 22-15 lead through the game's opening 10 minutes of play. The AMCATS then ran-off a 7-0 run, getting layups from Click, Pinsonault, and sophomore Jeremy Ross (Holden, Mass.) to tie the game at 22-all. The Nighthawks held a 30-29 advantage with just over four minutes remaining in the half, when Anna Maria made their move, closing out the half on 11-2 run to go into the locker room with a 40-32 advantage. The AMCATS came roaring out of the intermission, outscoring the Nighthawks 16-4 over the first five and half minutes of the second half to build a 20-point lead at 56-36. Refusing to go away, the Nighthawks began methodically chipping away at the AMC lead. A jumper by Thompson cut the lead to 15 with just under 10 minutes, a layup by Bernard sliced it down to a nine-point lead with just over five minutes remaining, and after a three by Young and two free throws from Thompson, the AMC advantage was down to four with under three minutes to play. The AMCATS remained up by four points with under two minutes on the clock when senior John Rowley, Jr. stole the ball and raced for the layup at the other end to bring Newbury within two at 73-71. That's as close as the Nighthawks ever got to tying the score, as the AMCATS hit five-of-six clutch free throws down the stretch to nail down the 80-74 victory. Both teams return to action on Friday, with Newbury playing in the Brandeis Invitational and Anna Maria traveling to take part in the Middletown Tip-Off Tournament. Photo Courtesy of David Sheridan for AMC Sports Information