Men's Basketball Outshines Lasers, 93-82
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lasell (4-10, 3-6 GNAC) | 35 | 47 | 82 |
|
Anna Maria (8-7, 6-2 GNAC) | 48 | 45 | 93 |
PAXTON, Mass.—The Anna Maria College men's basketball team downed the visiting Lasers of Lasell College by a score of 93-82 on Tuesday evening on the strength of five double-digit scorers in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action from the Fuller Center.
The win is the sixth-in-a-row for the AMCATS, who top the .500 mark and improve to 8-7 overall and 6-2 in GNAC play. The loss drops Lasell to 4-10 overall and 3-6 against league opponents.
Junior Tyler Delorey (Worcester, Mass.) paced the AMCATS with 20 points on a 7-for-8 effort from the floor, including two three-pointers, in addition to a team-best six rebounds. Senior Quantez Franklin (South Yarmouth, Mass.) added 19 points on an 8-for-11 effort, while classmate Corey Pryor (Whitinsville, Mass.) tallied 18 points off the bench and drained three three-pointers.
Juniors Kyle McKissick (Charlton, Mass.) and Patrick Bradanese (Billerica, Mass.) also scored in double-figures, adding 16 and 12 points, respectively. McKissick also had a strong defensive game with four rebounds, four blocks, and two steals.
Senior Michael Gorman (Methuen, Mass.) aided the AMCATS' offense with a game-high nine assists.
Lasell's Yordan Villalon (Miami, Fla.) scored a game-high 21 points and recorded eight assists, while Scott Arsenault (Walpole, Mass.) chipped in with 13 points off the bench.
The AMCATS tallied a 75 percent shooting percentage from three-point range in the first half, which fueled a 13-point halftime lead.
The Lasers were not out though, and used the first 10 minutes of the second half to cut the AMCATS' lead to just two points. With 5:44 left to play, Villalon hit a pair of free-throws to tie the score at 71-71. McKissick hit a layup on Anna Maria's next trip down the floor, but Lasell answered with a three-pointer to take a one-point lead.
The Lasers' lead was short-lived, as Bradanese drained a three-pointer with 4:26 on the clock to put the AMCATS up by two, 78-76. The basket marked the start of an 8-0 run for Anna Maria, giving them an 83-76 lead with 3:34 still to play.
Lasell managed to cut their deficit back to four points following a pair of free-throws by Villalon and a three-pointer by Jeremy Daniel (Bridgeport, Conn.), but time was running out and the Lasers were forced to foul for possession. The AMCATS hit six free-throws in the final minutes of the game to claim the 11-point victory.
Anna Maria held a 44-34 advantage in points in the paint. The also outscored Lasell 32-19 off turnovers, but the Lasers held a 15-8 edge in second-chance points and saw their bench outscore Anna Maria's, 29-23.
The AMCATS shot at 64.2 percent from the floor over the course of the game, including an 18-for-26 (69.2 percent) effort in the first half. The Lasers tallied a 49.2 percent field goal percentage, and drained 9-of-20 (45.0 percent) from three-point range. Lasell outrebounded the AMCATS, 33-22, including 16 offensive boards.
Anna Maria will be back in action on Thursday, when they travel to Rivier for a 7:00 p.m. GNAC matchup. Lasell is also in action on Thursday, hosting Keene State in a 7:30 p.m. non-conference game.
