Men's Basketball Rallies for 80-77 Win against Clark
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Clark University (2-3) | 39 | 38 | 77 |
|
Anna Maria (2-3) | 32 | 48 | 80 |
PAXTON, Mass.—The Anna Maria College men's basketball team snapped a seven-game winless streak against neighboring Clark University on Tuesday afternoon with an 80-77 win at the Fuller Activities Center.
With the win, the AMCATS snap a three-game slide and improve to 2-3 on the season, while the loss drops Clark to 2-3.
Anna Maria received team-high 18-point performances from graduate student Quantez Franklin (South Yarmouth, Mass.) and senior Hugh Daye (Worcester, Mass.). Franklin also paced the AMCATS on the boards with nine rebounds, while Daye dished out a team-best five assists. Junior Tyler Delorey (Worcester, Mass.) also reached double-figures in the scoring column with 10 points.
Clark saw a game-high 19 points from graduate student Nick DePrato (Marshfield, Mass.), while junior Tyler Huffman (West Hartford, Conn.) chipped in with 17, including a perfect 3-for-3 effort from three-point range. Sophomore Dave Mercier (Milford, Mass.) added eight points and a team-best nine rebounds.
Anna Maria trailed 39-32 at halftime despite holding a 14-12 advantage in made field goals. The difference in the first half came at the free-throw line, where Clark netted a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity stripe, while the AMCATS went two the line for just two shots, making one.
Clark's largest lead of the day came at the 1:00 minute mark, when the visitors took a nine-point lead following a three-pointer by Huffman. Daye beat the buzzer with a layup to conclude the half, cutting the AMCATS deficit to seven points entering halftime.
The AMCATS would need just 3:30 to tie the score at 41-41 following a fast-break layup by Delorey. Clark would score on their next trip down to briefly reclaim the lead, but Anna Maria responded with a layup by Patrick Bradanese (Billerica, Mass.) for the fifth tie of the day.
The two teams would trade baskets, and the lead, for the next minute-and-a-half until Delorey scored twice and Daye added one for a six-point rally and a five-point lead. With 11:36 remaining in the half, the AMCATS took a seven-point lead following a three-pointer by Delorey.
Anna Maria would maintain the lead until the 5:45 mark, when an old-fashioned three-point play by Clark's Huffman tied the score at 67-67. The AMCATS did not hand over the lead, and Daye hit a three on the team's next trip to help Anna Maria regain control.
Holding the five-point lead with a minute-and-a-half left to play, the AMCATS received three big offensive rebounds, two from Trevon Farley (Lawrence, Mass.) and one from Franklin, to burn 45 seconds off the clock. Forced to foul for possession, Clark put AMCAT shooters on the line four times in the final 33 seconds, which Anna Maria used to take an eight-point lead with 10 seconds left to play. A pair of three-pointers by Huffman and Joe Atkinson (Milford, Mass.) in the final seconds cut the AMCATS' lead to three, but time expired as the AMCATS took the 80-77 win.
Anna Maria posted a 51.7 percent effort from the floor (30-58), including a 16-27 effort (59.3 percent) in the second half. Clark shot at 43.1 percent (25-58) over the full 40 minutes.
The AMCATS held advantages in points in the paint (42-28) and fast-break points (13-8), but Clark bested Anna Maria in points off turnovers (16-13), second-chance points (9-5), and bench points (44-27).
Anna Maria is idle for the Thanksgiving holiday and will next play on December 2 in a 7:00 p.m. road game at Albertus Magunus College. Clark will host Western Connecticut on Monday, December 1 at 6:00 p.m.
