AMCATS Downed by Saints

BOSTON, Mass. –Junior guard Michael Mailhot (Norwich, Conn.) scored eight consecutive points over a 43 second span to help the Emmanuel College men's basketball team erase a three point deficit to come-from-behind and defeat Anna Maria College, 74-66, Monday afternoon at the Jean Yawkey Center in Boston, Mass. With the victory, the Saints snap a five-game losing skid and improve to 5-9 overall and 4-3 in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference while the loss drops the AMCATS to 5-8 and 4-3 in conference play.

Trailing 66-65, Mailhot started the Saints charge with a three point bucket from the baseline to pull EC ahead for good at 68-66 with 2:38 remaining. Emmanuel was able to get a defensive stop and then draw a foul on their next offensive possession, sending Mailhot to the stripe for two. The guard was able to knock both down to make it 70-66 with 2:21 left. Mailhot kept the run going with a little help on the defensive, collecting a steal to help the Saints gain possession and then on the ensuing offensive set, put the game away with another three pointer to give Emmanuel a 73-66 lead with 1:55 left on the clock.

EC appeared to have the game under control, leading 59-49 after sophomore guard D.J. Fazio (Methuen, Mass.) drilled a three but the AMCATS responded with a 10-0 run capped by a Brad Peterson (North Kingston, R.I.) layup with 5:24 remaining to tie the game at 59-59. Following an Emmanuel turnover, Anna Maria was able to take its first lead of the second half following a three by freshman guard Corey Pryor (Northbridge, Mass.) to pull the visitors on top, 62-59 and just under five minutes remaining.

The Saints would fight back to even the game at 64-64 after sophomore forward Theo Robinson (Springfield, Mass.) made a jumper inside the paint around some traffic. Peterson would hit another jumper to help the AMCATS regain the 66-64 edge but a free throw by junior forward Isaiah Duke (Albany, N.Y.)  would make it 66-65 to set the stage for the late game heroics by Mailhot.

With a two point halftime lead (33-31), Emmanuel opened up the second half on a 7-2 run capped by a jumper by junior forward Xavier Everson (Rochester, N.Y.) to increase the Saints lead to 40-33 with just over 18 minutes remaining in the half.

With 12:03 left in the contest, a layup by Robinson gave the EC their largest lead of the game at the time of 52-43.

In the opening stanza, the AMCATS were in charge of the action for the first ten minutes, taking their largest lead of the half following a jumper by junior guard Javier Bristol (Haverhill, Mass.) to put Anna Maria on top 14-8 with 12:05 to play. Emmanuel would then take control of the action after junior guard Connor Morgan (Chepachet, R.I.) nailed three consecutive three pointers to give the hosts a 19-16 advantage with just under nine minutes remaining in the half.

Emmanuel would take its largest lead of the half after Duke drained a deep jumper with 3:37 remaining to make it 29-22 but the AMCATS would close out the half on a 9-4 spurt to pull within a basket and make it 33-31 heading into halftime.
Everson finished the afternoon with a game-high 19 points while Robinson added his third consecutive double-double with 15 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Morgan chipped in with 14 points and shot 50% from behind the arc (4-8).

For the AMCATS, Bristol ended with a team-best 16 points while junior swingman Anthony Click (Springfield, Mass.) contributed 15 points. Peterson and sophomore forward Quantez Franklin (South Yarmouth, Mass.) would each chip in with 13 points to round out the squad's scorers in double-figures.

The Saints will be back in action on Thursday evening when they head to Standish, Maine to take of St. Joseph's College in a GNAC matchup at 7:00 PM while the AMCATS host Johnson & Wales University the same night in a 7:00 PM contest in Paxton, Mass.