FINAL SCORE: Albertus Magnus 92 | Anna Maria 67
TEAM RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (21-4) | Anna Maria (5-21)
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Senior Shaquille Mitchell (Linden, N.J.) recorded a team-high 22 points to lead the Albertus Magnus College men's basketball team past visiting Anna Maria, 92-67, on Tuesday evening in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament Quarterfinals at "The Nest" inside the Cosgrove Marcus Messer Athletic Center.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Albertus Magnus controlled the opening seven minutes of the game as the Falcons took a 10-point lead over Anna Maria, 16-6, following a fast break layup from Ryan Pittman (Stratford, Conn.).
Anna Maria battled back to within eight at two different occassions, but at the 2:06 mark Jahmerikah Green-Younger (Norwalk, Conn.) hit the deep three to extend the hosts' lead to 16, 38-22. Anna Maria would head into halftime trailing the hosts by 17, 43-26.
Anna Maria started off the second half by cutting the Falcons' lead to within 16, 46-30, but soon after the Falcons would go on a short run and put the game away for good.
Anna Maria's closest threat of the game came at the 11:52 mark as David Jean-Louis hit a three to cut the lead to 18, 61-43.
FIRST HALF STATS
- Senior Grant Ellis (Newark, N.J.) led the hosts with 10 points while Jaqhawn Walters (Hartford, Conn.) collected all four of his assists in the first 20 minutes of play.
- Liam Pickett hit the only three for Anna Maria in the first as well as posted a team-high nine points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field.
- Albertus out-rebounded the visitors 29-17.
- Liam Pickett and Malik Forouzan went 2-for-2 from the free-throw line.
SECOND HALF STATS
- Walters picked up his 21st double-double of the season in the second half.
- The Falcons' bench posted 14 second half points, including seven points from Jahmerikah Green-Younger (Norwalk, Conn.).
- Mike Rapoza and Kenneth Graham posted a team-high seven points a piece for the visitors.
- Mitchell tallied 14 of his 22 points in the second half while shooting 5-of-9 from the floor and 3-of-7 from behind the arc.
FINAL STATS
- Along with his 22 points, Mitchell added a team-high four steals, three assists and two rebounds to his stat line.
- Junior Jaqhawn Walters (Hartford, Conn.) was the next Falcon to score in double-figures as the forward collected 16 points, 14 rebounds and four assists.
- Mike Rapoza and Liam Pickett both scored a team-high 13 points while Rapoza also posted 16 rebounds and an assist for the visitors.
- Albertus finished the game going 35-of-78 from the field and 10-of-28 from three point range including four three-pointers from Mitchell.
- The Falcons dominated on the glass posting 50 rebounds and 23 second chance points.
UP NEXT
Albertus Magnus will host fourth-seeded Mount Ida on Thursday, February 23, at 7:00 pm in the GNAC Semifinals.