Men’s Basketball Rally Comes Up Short To Clark

PAXTON, MA : The Anna Maria College men's basketball team lost 87-84 to visiting Clark University on Tuesday evening at the Fuller Center in Paxton in a matchup of Worcester county rivals.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Tuesday, November 23, 2021
• Score: Clark 87, Anna Maria 84
• Records: Cougars of Clark 6-0 | AMCATS of Anna Maria 2-3

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Trailing from early in the first quarter, Anna Maria found itself down 45-41 at the half, as the Cougars engaged in a full court press to force 17 first half turnovers by the AMCATS. The home team stormed back, however, slowly chipping away at the lead until finally tying it up at 69 all for the first time since the opening seconds after a free throw from sophomore forward Gabe Armstead (Dallas, GA). But the Cougars answered with a 9-2 run to give themselves a cushion. A three-pointer from Anna Maria senior guard Ralph Grasso, Jr. (Marlborough, MA) with 1:43 pulled the AMCATS to within three, but that was as close as they would come as Clark made just enough free throws down the stretch to hold them off.

STANDOUTS:

• Grasso Jr. finished with a career-high 27 points to lead the AMCATS, shooting 10-of-14 from the floor and five-of-five from behind the arc. He also pulled down six rebounds and dished out three assists.
• Armstead finished with a double-double as a force in the paint, with 18 points and 12 boards, shooting 50 percent from the floor.
• Anna Maria sophomore guard Jakai Alexandre (Fitchburg, MA) added 11 points, eight assists and three steals, while freshman guard Trevian Grenon (Sutton, MA) exploded off the bench with 15 points.
• Clark senior forward Tylern Davern (Webster, MA) led the Cougars with 26 points, shooting six-of-ten from behind the arc.
• Clark sophomore guard Bruce Saintilus (Plainville, MA) was a force in the paint with 21 points and 13 boards.
• Anna Maria held a 51.7 to 37.8 advantage in shooting percentage while Clark outrebounded the hosts 51-42.

UP NEXT:

Anna Maria will be back on the court next Tuesday when they host Framingham State in a 6:00 p.m. game.

STAY CONNECTED:

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