Click helps AMCATS close out Lancers
PAXTON, Mass. – Sophomore Anthony Click (Springfield, Mass.) led all players with 23 points, adding nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals to help the Anna Maria College men's basketball team overcome a nine-point halftime deficit to defeat Worcester State University by a score of 76-73 at The Fuller Activities Center on New Year's Eve. The win improves the AMCATS to 4-6 on the season, while the Lancers fall to 1-9 overall. Click was instrumental in the victory, going 6-for-6 from the field and 6-for-6 from the line during the second half, making a string of key plays down the stretch on both the offensive and defensive end of the floor. Senior guards Junior De La Hoz (Lawrence, Mass.) and Chris Pinsonault (Malrboro, Mass.) also played well for the AMCATS, finishing with 16 and 15 points, respectively. The Lancers were led by senior Dave Douillette (Bridgewater, Mass.) who collected a double-double with a team-high 19 points and 11 rebounds. Also finishing in double figures was junior Frank Stephenson (Fall River, Mass.) who had 14 points and a team-best three steals on the day. Sophomore Monte Goodwin (Boston, Mass.) also played well for WSU, contributing eight points and five rebounds on 4-of-7 shooting from the floor. The AMCATS took an early 10-5 lead with Pinsonault's contributing seven quick points. However, the Lancers kept the game close, and after back-to-back baskets from Douillette, Worcester State recaptured the lead at 26-24 with 6:30 remaining in the opening half. Trailing by one with under four minutes on the clock, the Lancers made their move, closing out the period on a 14-4 run, capped by a jumper by Stephenson at the buzzer to go into the locker room holding a 44-35 advantage. The Lancers shot 50% from the field during the half compared to just 38.7% for the AMCATS, and also held sizeable advantages in second chance points (10-2), points in the paint (26-12), and bench points (13-5). The AMCATS woke up in the second half, exploding out of the locker room to open the period on a 12-0 run and taking the lead, 47-44. The AMC lead would swell to as many as seven points, but once again the Lancers battled back, tying the game at 57-all with nine minutes left in the contest. A layup by Douillette gave WSU a one-point lead with just over four minutes remaining when AMC's Anthony Click took over. Click contributed on 10 of AMC's final 12 points down the stretch, dishing out three assists, scoring the AMCATS final four points, and also grabbing two key rebounds and a steal. Click's jumper from the elbow with 46 seconds on the clock gave AMC a three-point advantage, and after the Lancers answered with a basket of their own, Click sank two clutch free throws to seal the 76-73 win. The Lancers will return to action on Monday, traveling to face Delaware Valley at 8:00 pm. The AMCATS will play again on Tuesday versus Fitchburg State on the road at 7:30 pm as senior Chris Pinsonault continues his quest to become the 17th player in program history to score 1,000 career points.
