FINAL SCORE: Albertus Magnus 87 | Anna Maria 66
TEAM RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (18-4, 14-2) | Anna Maria (4-19, 4-12)

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Led behind a double-double performance, 25 points and 14 rebounds, from junior Jaqhawn Walters (Hartford, Conn.), the Albertus Magnus College men's basketball team improves to 18-4 on the year as the Falcons defeated Anna Maria College 87-66 on Saturday afternoon at "The Nest".

HOW IT HAPPENED

Anna Maria came out with vengeance as the AMCATS opened the game with an 8-2 run to force the Falcons to call a timeout to regroup just three minutes in. Following the break, Albertus rallied together a short spurt before a layup from Aaron Fox (Jamaica, Queens) tied the game up at 10-all.

Over the next couple of minutes, both teams battled through two ties until a three from Shaquille Mitchell (Linden, N.J.) put the hosts up two, 20-18. The Falcons continued to push their lead to double-digits and found themselves up 13, 44-31, at the half.

Albertus continued to shine in the second half as a layup from Ryan Pittman (Stratford, Conn.) gave the hosts a 23-point cushion, 60-37, with 13:26 remaining. The closest the AMCATS got was at the 8:27 mark as Tanner Jakola cut the Falcons' lead to within 17, but it wasn't enough as the Falcons secured the 87-66 home win.

FIRST HALF STATS

• Albertus shot 51.4 percent from the floor while Walters led the offensive unit with 12 points and eight rebounds.
• The Falcons dominated in the paint holding a 28-16 edge over the AmCats.
• Anna Maria was led in the first by Mike Rapoza who tallied a team-high 10 points.
• The AMCATS held a 7-6 edge over the Falcons in offensive rebounds, but would trail 26-21 in total rebounds.

SECOND HALF STATS

• Seven different players registered at least two points for the Falcons in the second.
• Mike Rapoza led the AMCATS' offensive unit as well in the second half with nine points.
• Albertus outshot Anna Maria in the second half 43-35 while shooting 48.6 percent from the field.
• Senior Grant Ellis (Newark, N.J.) scored 12 of his 14 points in the second.

FINAL STATS

• Along with Walters, Ellis and Pittman also scored in double-figures with 14 and 10 points, respectively.
• The Falcons dominated in paint scoring 60 of their 87 points in the blue.
• Albertus finished the game shooting a combined 50.0 percent from field goal range while Anna Maria shot only 40.0 percent.
• Ellis also finished the game with a team-high seven assists while Pittman registered a team-high five steals.

UP NEXT

The Falcons return to action on February 14^th at Emmanuel.