Men’s Basketball: Wildcats Outlast AMCATS, 84-53

Paxton, Mass. –  Anna Mara College senior Joseph Barillo (Dania Beach, FL) and junior Hugh Daye (Worcester, Mass.) each netted a team-high 11 points, but the AMCATS could not escape a 35-17 first half deficit as Johnson and Wales University notched a 84-53 victory in Tuesday evening's Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's basketball game at Fuller Activities Center. The AMCATS moves to 9-13 overall and 7-8 in GNAC, while JWU improves to 17-5, 13-2 in conference play.

Off the bench Anna Maria received 7 points from junior Corey Pryor (Whitinsville, Mass.) and 6 points from Trevon Farley (Lawrence, Mass.).

Sophomore Robert Lewis (Providence, RI) had the hot hand for the Wildcats. The guard posted a game-high 26 points on 9-of-10 shooting from the floor including a perfect 6-for-6 from beyond the arc.

Anna Maria kept the score close over the first ten minutes of the game. Junior Hugh Daye scored six of the AMCATS first 12 points as the AMCATS trailed 13-12 at the midpoint. However the Wildcats would reel off 16 straight points, holding Anna Maria scoreless, over a six minute stretch. A triple from Corey Pryor halted the run as the AMCATS would trail 35-17 heading into the locker room.

JWU connected on 12-of-21 attempts in the first half for a 57.1% shooting percentage while Anna Maria was held to 30.8% (8-of-26) in the period.

Anna Maria opened the second half with a modest 7-4 run, including five points from Barillo and a bucket from sophomore Kyle McKissick (Charlton, Mass.) to make it a 38-24 ballgame with 18 minutes to play in the stanza.

The Wildcats would then break the game open outscoring Anna Maria 37-19 over a ten minute span to build the largest advantage of the game at 75-43. JWU would cruise to the 84-53 final.

JWU would finish the game shooting a blistering 61.4%, while Anna Maria improved to 39.6%. The Wildcats were also tops in rebounds 36-20 and steals 8-7.

Anna Maria returns to action on Saturday afternoon when they host Lasell College at 3:00 p.m.  The AMCATS will honor senior Joseph Barillo in a pre-game ceremony.