NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Ta'Zhon Daniels (New Haven, Conn.) scored a game-high 24 points as the Albertus Magnus College men's basketball team picked up its first home win of the season in a 79-63 win over Amherst on Tuesday evening in The Nest.

Deivone Tanksley (Hartford, Conn.) had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Ray Ford, Jr. (Jersey City, N.J.) scored 17 points, including 4-for-8 from three.

THE BASICS

FINAL: Albertus Magnus 79 | Amherst 63

RECORDS: Albertus (3-7) | Amherst (7-3)

BOX

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Amherst jumped out to a 6-2 lead early, but a three from Ford, Jr. and a jumper from Tanksley gave Albertus its first lead of the game at 7-6 with 16:25 on the clock. The teams swapped leads on the next three possessions and Amherst eventually took a 13-9 lead before another three-pointer from Ford, Jr. made it a 13-12 game.
• After Amherst took its biggest lead of the game at 19-14, the Falcons went on a 9-3 run to take the lead back at 23-22. Kevin Crawford (Bridgeport, Conn.) started the run with a jumper and Jayquan Kirkland (Stratford, Conn.) hit a three before a jumper from Daniels gave Albertus the one-point lead.
• Back-to-back threes from Kirkland and Ford, Jr. gave the Falcons a 31-28 lead with 6:34 remaining. Amherst scored the next four points to take a brief one-point lead, but consecutive baskets by Daniels gave Albertus the lead for good in the first half as it took a 35-32 lead with 3:28 left. Ford, Jr. hit another three with under two minutes left and Daniels scored just before the halftime horn as the Falcons took a 42-36 lead into the break.
• The first nine points from the Falcons in the second half came via free throws as they went perfect from the line during the opening minutes to take a 51-43 lead with 17:10 remaining. A jumper from Malcolm Duncanson (West Haven, Conn.) on the next Albertus possession gave the Falcons their first double-digit lead of the game at 53-43. Amherst's Noah Helmke then hit a three but Daniels answered on the ensuing possession to keep it a ten-point Albertus lead.
• The Falcons were able to thwart any kind of run from Amherst, as they did not let the Mammoths get closer than eight points. Albertus began to pull away with 8:09 remaining as a Tahijj Hunter (Mount Laurel, N.J.) tipped in a missed shot and got fouled. Hunter would make his free throw and Daniels followed with two free throws of his own after Amherst was called for a technical foul to give Albertus a 65-50 lead.
• Amherst made one more attempt at a comeback as Helmke scored to make it a 70-59 game with 3:38 left, but a reverse layup from Daniels and baskets from Rodrick Pearson (Hartford, Conn.) and Kirkland put the game away.

TEAM STATS

Albertus

47.2 FG% | 42.1 3PT% | 75.0 FT%

Amherst

39.3 FG% | 26.3 3PT% | 58.3 FT%

LEADERS

Albertus

Ta'zhon Daniels 24 Points | 8-10 FT | 3 Assists

Ray Ford, Jr. 17 Points | 4-8 3PT | 2 Steals | 2 Assists

Deivone Tanksley 12 Points | 11 Rebounds | 2 Steals

Jayquan Kirkland 8 Points | 2-4 3PT

Tahijj Hunter 7 Points | 4 Rebs

Amherst

Bobby Sommers 21 Points | 8-13 FG | 6 Rebounds

Will Scherer 11 Points | 10 Rebounds

NOTEWORTHY

• The eight threes for Albertus tied a season-high.
• There were three ties and 11 lead changes.
• Albertus took the rebound edge, 37-33.
• Daniels has scored 20 or more points in four games this season.
• Tanksley now has five double-doubles on the season.

UP NEXT

Albertus plays its final game of the 2024 calendar year as it hosts Lehman on Saturday at 2 p.m. in The Nest.