Men's Basketball Downs Southern Maine, 86-83, in Season Opener

NEW LONDON, Conn.—The Anna Maria College men's basketball team kicked off the 2014 campaign with an 86-83 win against the University of Southern Maine in the Connecticut College Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament.

Junior Pat Bradanese (Billerica, Mass.) led the AMCATS with 24 points on the strength of a 6-for-8 effort from three-point range. Anna Maria also saw double-digit scoring performances from freshman Youssef Fodaile (Worcester, Mass.) with 14 points, and sophomore Trevon Farley (Lawrence, Mass.), senior Michael Gorman (Methuen, Mass.), and junior Tyler Delorey (Worcester, Mass.), who all finished with 10.

The Huskies were paced by 22-point performances by Sean Caddigan and Zach Leal.

Both teams traded baskets in the opening minutes of the game, but midway through the first half, the AMCATS opened up a 10-point gap at 25-15. A jumper by Fodaile at the 5:04 mark would give Anna Maria a 31-17 lead, and the team would hold a 44-27 advantage at halftime.

The Huskies fought their way back from a 23-point deficit in the second half to make it a ball game in the final minutes. Southern Maine came within four on a three-pointer by Caddigan with seven seconds left to play, but the Huskies were forced to foul for possession and Delorey sunk both of his attempts at the three-second mark to put the AMCATS up by six. With one second left on the clock, Leal netted a three-pointer buzzer-beater, but it was not enough as the final score was sealed at 86-83.

The AMCATS shot at 49.2 percent (29-59) from the floor and hit 9-of-17 (47.4 percent) from three-point range, while also hitting 19-of-26 (73.1 percent) from the free-throw line. The Huskies connected on 30 of 66 shots from the floor (45.5 percent) and hit 35.7 percent from behind the three-point arc (10-28).

Anna Maria will advance to the championship game of the Coaches vs. Cancer Tip-Off Tournament tomorrow and will take on Framingham State. Framingham downed the hosts, 60-55. Southern Maine will take on Connecticut College in the consolation game.