PAXTON, Mass.--  Sophomore Ryan Joyal (Marlboro, Mass.) had 11 points, 16 rebounds, and three blocks as the Anna Maria College men’s basketball team overcame an 11-point second half deficit to defeat Newbury College 74-70 in front of a packed house at the Fuller Activities Center on Saturday afternoon.

 

The AMCATS came out of the gate strong, building a 13-6 lead as sophomore Junior De La Hoz (Lawerence, Mass.) knocked down a three and dished out two assists.

 

The Nighthawks battled back, eventually to tying the score at 17-all on a dunk by senior Kevin Cleveland (Lynn, Mass.).

 

The lead would change hands four times before the two teams went into the locker room with the Nighthawks holding a 35-34 lead.

 

Newbury came out of halftime to go on a 16-6 run with Senior Walky Magloire (Waltham, Mass.) contributing four points, two steals, and a rebound during the stretch to build an 11-point advantage.

 

Sophomore Chris Pinsonault (Marlboro, Mass.) brought the AMCATS back by draining two shots from beyond the arc to cut the Nighthawks lead to seven.

 

Trailing by eight the AMCATS went on a 15-7 run as Pinsonault put in a layup and a three-pointer on consecutive possessions to tie the score at 65-all. After two clutch free throws from sophomore Tyler Washington (Milford, Mass.) the AMCATS held their first lead, 69-68, since 3:33 in the first half.

 

De La Hoz added a jumper and a free throw while Victor Ramos (Worcester, Mass.) made two steals in the final of minute of play to help the AMCATS hold on for a 74-70 victory.

 

Joyal led the charge with his double-double while Pinsonault led all scorers with 19 points. Washington also chipped in with 13 points, nine rebounds, and three assists.

 

Kevin Cleveland paced the Nighthawks with 15 points and nine rebounds, while Walky Magloire contributed a team-high 18 points in the tough loss.

 

With the win the AMCATS open the season at 1-0 while the Nighthawks fall to 0-1. Newbury will play again on Friday in the Hight Tournament. Anna Maria returns to action on Tuesday when they travel to take on Wheelock at 7:00 pm.