AMCats Hold On To Top Men's Basketball in GNAC Quarters, 62-55

PAXTON, MA: The Anna Maria College men's basketball team prevailed 62-55 against visiting Emmanuel College on Wednesday evening in the quarterfinals of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) tournament at the Fuller Center in Paxton to advance into the conference semifinals.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Wednesday, February 23, 2022
• Score: Anna Maria 62, Emmanuel 55
• Records: #4 AMCATS of Anna Maria 15-10 | #5 Saints of Emmanuel 15-11             

TURNING POINT:

• After a hotly contested first half saw the AMCATS take a 31-26 lead going into the break, the second half featured more of the same as both teams traded the lead down the stretch in front of a capacity Anna Maria crowd.
• The critical moment came with 30.7 seconds left in the game with the AMCATS clinging to a two-point lead with leading scorer sophomore forward Gabe Armstead (Dallas, GA) going to the line to shoot two free throws. After burying the first, the rookie missed the second, as a packed crowd held their collective breaths as senior guard Kennedy Minix-Rogers (Smyrna, GA) drove into the paint to snatch the rebound away in an incredible display of athleticism, forcing he Saints to foul. The senior calmly made both shots to extend the lead to five, then buried two more with 2.5 seconds left to ice it after pulling in a rebound on the defensive end.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Emmanuel sophomore guard Donte Pope (Middletown, CT) concluded his dominant rookie season by carrying the Saints through much of the game, leading all scorers with 28 points including 19 in the first half. The first-year player also pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the year, adding three assists and four steals, all while shooing 55.5 percent from the floor.
• Armstead led the AMCATS with 14 points, nine rebounds and three steals with one block.
• Minix-Rogers scored 13 points while dishing out six assists with five rebounds in another excellent overall performance.
• Playing in the final home game of his storied career, Anna Maria senior guard Ralph Grasso, Jr. (Marlborough, MA) finished with 11 points, four rebounds and a block at the top of the key on Pope late in the second half that inspired the AMCAT faithful.
• Anna Maria senior guard Hayden Braga (Foster, RI) pulled-down a team high ten boards while scoring two baskets including a home run play that saw him catch a full-court pass from sophomore guard Jakai Alexandre (Fitchburg, MA) and finish midway through the second half.
• Anna Maria enjoyed a 19-9 advantage in points off turnovers while outshooting the Saints 43.1 percent to 35.6 percent.                                                                                                                                      

UP NEXT:

Anna Maria now advances to the GNAC semifinals where they will travel to top-seeded University of Saint Joseph on Friday evening.

*Release content courtesy of Anna Maria College Athletic Communications