No. 8 Anna Maria Falls at No. 1 Albertus Magnus in GNAC Quarterfinals

PAXTON, Mass. – The Anna Maria College men's basketball team fell to the Falcons of Albertus Magnus College in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) quarterfinal game on Tuesday evening at "The Nest" inside the Cosgrove Marcus Messer Athletic Center (92-67). The AMCATS finish out the season with a 5-21 overall record and 5-13 record in the GNAC. The Falcons advance to the GNAC semifinal game on Thursday, Feb. 23 against No. 4 Mount Ida College.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Freshman Mike Rapoza (Charlton, Mass.) earned his 20^th and final double-double of the season with 13 points and a game high 16 rebounds to lead the AMCATS. Junior Liam Pickett (Oxford, Mass.) also recorded 13 points on the night while his classmate Kenneth Graham (West Haven, Conn.) rounded out double-digit scoring for the AMCATS with 12 points.

Senior guard Shaquille Mitchell led the Falcons to victory with a game-high 22 points to go along with four steals and three assists. Jaqhawn Walters posted a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Senior guard Grant Ellis and sophomore guard Ryan Pittman added 14 points and 12 points respectively.

The Falcons outshot the AMCATS 44.9%-39.7% from the field and 35.7%-25% from three-point range. Albertus Magnus dominated the boards posting 50 rebounds and 23 second chance points to the AMCATS 28 rebounds and 15 second chance points. Anna Maria outshot the Falcons at the free-throw line with a shooting percentage of 73.7% at the charity stripe.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Albertus Magnus controlled the opening seven minutes of the game as the Falcons took a 10-point lead over Anna Maria, 16-6, following a fast break layup from Ryan Pittman.

Anna Maria battled back to within eight at two different occasions, but at the 2:06 mark Jahmerikah Green-Younger hit the deep three to extend the hosts' lead to 16, 38-22. Anna Maria would head into halftime trailing the hosts by 17, 43-26.

Anna Maria started off the second half by cutting the Falcons' lead to within 16, 46-30, but soon after the Falcons would go on a short run and put the game away for good.

Anna Maria's closest threat of the game came at the 11:52 mark as David Jean-Louis (Miramar, Fla.) hit a three to cut the lead to 18, 61-43.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The AMCATS finish their 2016-2017 campaign with a 5-21 overall record and 5-13 record in the GNAC. The Falcons will host fourth-seeded Mount Ida on Thursday, February 23, at 7:00 pm in the GNAC Semifinals.