Cougars pull away from AMCATS in second half

PAXTON, Mass. – Junior Brian Vayda (Sturbridge, Mass.) led all scorers with 23 points as the Clark University men's basketball team shot 55% from the floor in the second half to defeat Anna Maria College 81-68 at The Fuller Activities Center on Tuesday night. The win improves the Cougars' overall mark to 2-3 on the season, while the loss evens the AMCATS record at 2-2. The AMCATS received a strong effort from sophomore Anthony Click (Springfield, Mass.) who scored a team-high 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the floor while hitting all seven of his free throw attempts and adding a game-high five steals in the loss. Senior Chris Pinsonault (Marlboro, Mass.) contributed 16 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two steals on the night, while senior Junior De La Hoz (Lawrence, Mass.) dished-out five assists and junior Brad Peterson (North Kingstown, R.I.) blocked three shots for the AMCATS. Vayda paced the Cougars with his game-high 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting while also tying for the team-lead with seven boards. In all, Clark had four players finish in double-figures on the night. In addition to Vayda, the Cougars got 16 points from sophomore Travis Curley (Trumbull, Conn.), 13 points and seven rebounds from junior Mitch Renshaw (Rutland, Mass.), and 13 points from sophomore Tucker Esborn (Branford, Conn.). The first half was closely contested and included six ties and three lead changes, with CU eventually taking a 32-31 lead into the intermission. The AMCATS outscored Clark 13-5 on points off turnovers in the period, while the Cougars built a 9-2 edge in second chance points. The game remained equally tight through most of the second period which saw four ties and six lead changes. With the AMCATS holding on to a 43-42 lead with 14 minutes remaining, the Cougars made their move, going on a 15-5 run to take a nine-point advantage with just over seven minutes to play. Anna Maria fought hard to claw their way back, and after a three-pointer by sophomore Rafael Candelario (Lawrence, Mass.) the AMCATS were within six points with two and half minutes remaining. However, the Cougars answered back, hitting 16-of-19 free throws down the stretch to solidify the victory. Both teams will be back in action on the road next Tuesday, with the Cougars facing Brandeis at 8:00 pm, and the AMCATS traveling to battle Becker at 7:00 pm.