Saturday, February 17, 2013 (Paxton, Massachusetts) - Mount Ida College men's basketball senior center and Captain Jeffrey McNair (Brockton, MA/Brockton) turned in his best outing of the season adding double-double, his fifth of the season, with 22 points and 12 caroms in a tight 77-74 loss to hosting Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) member Anna Maria College Saturday to round out the 2012/2013. The Mustangs fail to make the GNAC post-season tournament for the first time since joining the league in 2007 under the direction of 22nd year Head Coach Rico Cabral.
The AmCats finalize an impressive regular season (18-7) with a league slate of 16-2 sitting atop the conference standings heading into the GNAC tournament as the number one overall seed. Mount Ida closes out the year with an overall record of 7-18 landing in second to last place in the conference (3-15). The Mustangs, who had a very young team this season, will look forward to a more successful future with a handful of very talented veterans starting next year.
Along with McNair, the Mustangs saw three other players in double figures led by freshman John Fortes (New Bedford, MA/New Bedford) had 17 points, while teammates Cam Walker (New Bedford, MA/New Bedford) netted 15 and Terace Macklin (Brockton, MA/Brockton) contributed with 11 points.
This was the 15th consecutive win for the men's basketball team, breaking a record previously set by the '91-'92 and '92-'93 squads. Senior Brad Peterson (North Kingstown, RI) led the way for the AmCats scoring a team high 21 points to go along with eight rebounds and two blocks.
Anthony Click (Springfield, MA), Daniel Beliard (Trumbull, CT), Brian Conrad (Holden, MA), Javier Bristol (Haverhill, MA), Jose Pena (Lawrence, MA) and Peterson were honored for their contributions to the program throughout their tenures on senior day. Bristol provided stability at both ends of the court, scoring 11 points to go along with 11 rebounds, three blocks and four steals. Also contributing in the victory, junior Joey Barillo (Dania Beach, FL) scored 10, while sophomore Hugh Daye (Worcester, MA) chipped in with nine points off the bench.
The Mustangs opened up the first half establishing an early 12-6 lead, with Macklin scoring six of his eleven points in the first five minutes of the game. The AmCats kept within striking distance, and Daniel Beliard Jr. tied the game at 28 apiece with 5:23 remaining. The Mustangs offense responded with an 11-2 run to close out the half, with McNair scoring 7 of the 11 points, giving Mount Ida a 39-30 lead.
The AMCATS came out of the locker room determined to chip away at the Mustangs lead, as they went on a 9-2 run to open the half. Barillo hit a deep 3-point attempt to pull Anna Maria close, 41-40 with 16:42 remaining. Senior Brad Peterson was able to give the AMCATS their first lead since the early minutes of the first half with a fast break dunk, set up by a well-placed passed from teammate Michael Gorman (Methuen, MA). This was Peterson's second dunk of the contest, giving the AMCATS a 46-45 advantage.
While both teams traded baskets for the majority of the second half, the Mustangs were finally able to break through with back-to-back baskets from McNair and Walker to give Mount Ida a 68-63 advantage with six minutes remaining. Ida held onto their lead late into the contest, and with 1:47 remaining, they were up 74-70. Joey Barillo took charge for the AMCATS, converting on a feed from Daye with 1:11 remaining, cutting the Mustang lead to 2. After a Mustang turnover, Barillo buried a three-pointer to put Anna Maria up 75-74 with 33 seconds remaining. Two Javier Bristol free throws provided the team with a 77-74 advantage with eight seconds on the clock. Bristol then sealed the deal defensively, blocking the final shot of the game with two seconds on the clock, giving the AMCATS the victory.
The AmCats will host Emmanuel College in round one of the conference finals at the Fuller Center on Tuesday in Paxton, Massachusetts February 19, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.
Some Content Courtesy of Anna Maria College Sports Information