Wildcats Cruise to 106-71 Victory over AMCATS

PAXTON, Mass. – The Anna Maria College men's basketball team fell to the visiting Wildcats of Johnson & Wales University, 106-71, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action on Monday afternoon at the Fuller Activities Center. The loss drops the AMCATS to 3-13 overall and 3-6 in the conference. The win lifts the Wildcats to 6-8 overall and 6-2 in the GNAC.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Four players finished in double-digits for the Wildcats including a game-high 30 points from senior guard Anthony Jernigan. Israel Johnson followed with 16 points off the bench while Jarell Lawson and Edson Dascy posted 15 and 10 points respectively.

Freshman power-house Mike Rapoza (Charlton, Mass.) earned a team high 19 points and nine rebounds in the loss. Kenneth Graham (West Haven, Conn.) followed that lead with 12 points and four rebounds. Junior Liam Pickett (Oxford, Mass.) and freshman Malik Forouzan (Houston, Texas) each added eight points on the night.

Johnson & Wales shot an impressive 59.4 percent from the field (38-of-64) and 60 percent from beyond the arc (12-of-20) led by three three-pointers from both Jernigan and Lawson. The AMCATS shot 49 percent from the field (24-of-49) and 50 percent from three-point range (5-of-10) led by two three-pointers from Pickett.

The Wildcats brought tough defense to the game, forcing 24 Anna Maria turnovers and converting them into 28 points. The AMCATS forced just 11 Johnson & Wales turnovers and earned 11 points off of them. The Wildcats outrebounded Anna Maria 32-25 and took their largest lead in the second half by 40 points. Both benches showed up today with the Wildcat's bench adding 33 points in the victory and the AMCAT'S bench earning 25 points.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The AMCATS host Albertus Magnus on Saturday, January 21 for a 1:00 p.m. GNAC contest. Johnson & Wales is on the road again at Emmanuel on the same day for a 3:00 p.m. conference battle.