No. 7 Falcons Fly Past Men's Basketball, 75-68
PAXTON, Mass.—The Anna Maria men's basketball team suffered a 75-68 loss to the No. 7 Falcons of Albertus Magnus College on Saturday afternoon in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action.
With the win, the Falcons complete an undefeated conference schedule, improving to 24-1 overall and 18-0 in league play. The AMCATS fall to 14-11 overall and 12-6 in GNAC action.
Anna Maria was led by junior Tyler Delorey (Worcester, Mass.) with a game-high 34 points. Junior Kyle McKissick (Charlton, Mass.) chipped in with 12 points, while senior Corey Pryor (Whitinsville, Mass.) added 10 points.
The Falcons were led by Eian Davis (Brooklyn, N.Y.) who a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds. He also added six assists. Lemar Larsen (Waterbury, Conn.) also chipped in with 17 points, while Victor Ljuljdjuraj (Bronx, N.Y.) chipped in with 13 points.
The AMCATS had the advantage in the early minutes of the first half, using the first five minutes of the game to build an eight-point lead. Anna Maria would hold control of the lead until the 8:53 mark, when a free-throw shot by Larsen tied the score at 20-20. Anna Maria regained control on a dunk by Delorey on the next possession, but the Falcons hit back-to-back baskets by Ljuljdjuraj and Sanders to take a two-point lead at 24-22.
The Falcons controlled for there, using a 7-0 run to build a nine-point lead. Anna Maria would trail by four, 33-29, entering halftime.
The AMCATS came within two, 33-31, on the first basket of the second half and tied the game at 36-36 on a layup by Quantez Franklin (South Yarmouth, Mass.) minutes later. At the 17:32 minute, Franklin converted an old-fashioned three-point play to give the AMCATS a three-point lead at 39-36.
Anna Maria maintained the lead for a few minutes, until Sanders hit a jumper at 14:44 to give Albertus Magnus the 46-44 lead. After a few lead changes, the Falcons took the lead for good on a pair of free-throws by Larsen at the 9:28 mark. The Falcons took their largest lead, 11 points, with 4:44 left to play.
The Falcons totaled a 39.1 percent effort from the floor (25-64), while Anna Maria shot at 43.1 percent (25-58). Albertus Magnus held scoring advantages in points in the paint (42-24), second-chance points (19-4), fast-break points (17-14), and bench points (9-7). The AMCATS edged the Falcons 11-10 in points off turnovers.
Anna Maria, the third seed in the 2015 GNAC Tournament, will host No. 6 Emmanuel on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. Albertus Magnus seals the top slot and will host No. 8 Suffolk on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.
