Babson Park, Mass. – The Albertus Magnus College men's basketball team opened the 2016-17 season with a 101-81 setback on the road to No. 3 Babson on Tuesday evening in non-conference action at Staake Gymnasium.
In the first game of the year for both teams, the host Beavers (1-0) erased a six-point halftime deficit to take down the visiting Falcons (0-1). It was a tale of two halves for AMC as the guests shot 72.7 percent (8-of-11) from three-point range in the first half and 25 percent (2-of-8) in the final 20 minutes. The biggest difference in the contest was the points off turnovers as Babson scored 25 off Albertus miscues, while the Falcons had just 3 off Beaver turnovers.
Junior forward Jaqhawn Walters (Hartford, Conn.) scored 22 points thanks to knocking down 10-of-19 shots from the field. Walters also pulled down a team-best eight rebounds and dished out four assists in 40 minutes of action. Freshman guard Jahmerikah Green-Younger (Norwalk, Conn.) had a strong debut for the Falcons, pouring in 16 points courtesy of hitting three shots from beyond the arc and five from the charity stripe. Seniors Devin Coleman (Bridgeport, Conn.) and Shaquille Mitchell (Linden, N.J.) also scored in double figures for the visitors, netting 15 and 13 points, respectively.
Preseason All-American Joey Flannery led the offensive attack for Babson with a game-high 33 points to go along with 11 rebounds and nine assists. Junior forward Nick Comenale had an efficient game, hitting 6-of-9 shots from the field for 20 points. Junior forward Bradley Jacks was also in double figures for the home team with 17 points, while adding five rebounds.
Albertus Magnus came out of the gates strong and took an early 14-7 edge following the third straight basket by Walters three minutes into play. Two minutes later, the Falcons took a game-best 10-point advantage after a trey from Coleman. The hosts would battle back and knot the game at 22 midway through the stanza courtesy of three-pointer from Flannery.
Back-and-forth the two squads would go before Albertus Magnus closed the half on an 8-2 run to take a 48-42 lead into the break. Green-Younger had all eight of the Falcon points during the run, hitting a pair of three-point field goals and two free throws.
In the second half, the guests opened with a three from Coleman on the opening possesion to take a nine-point lead. Over the next five minutes, the Beavers would erase the deficit and take a 56-55 lead following a dunk by Flannery. After a pair of free throws by Albertus Magnus freshman Damian Grant (Waterbury, Conn.) tied the game at 58, a lay in by Jacks gave Babson the lead for good with 13 minutes remaining in regulation.
To close out the contest, the Beavers forced seven Falcon turnovers and shot over 67 percent from the field in the second frame.
Albertus Magnus returns to action on Tuesday, November 22, with a road non-conference showdown against Fitchburg State that is slated to begin at 7:00 pm in the Bay State. AMC is looking to avenge a 91-85 to FSU in the Elm City last December. The setback snapped an NCAA-best 59-game home winning streak for Albertus Magnus.
For the latest information on the men's basketball team and Albertus Magnus athletics, follow AMCAthletics on Twitter and visit AlbertusFalcons.com.