In the second game of the opening night double-header, the Newbury College men’s basketball team kicked off the 2009-2010 season with a dramatic come-from-behind victory over visiting Anna Maria College, 66-62. The Nighthawks open the season at 1-0 while the AMCATS fall to 0-1.

 

Leading by four, Newbury took a 31-27 advantage into the locker room at the half but Anna Maria came out in the second on fire.  Behind junior Ryan Joyal (Marlboro, MA/Marlboro), Anna Maria opened up the second half with a 13-0 run; Joyal would finish with a double-double, tallying 13 points and 14 boards.

 

With just over three minutes left in the contest, Newbury chipped away at the eight point, 63-55, deficit. Senior Paul Beckford Jr. (Somerville, MA/Somerville) found an open, freshman, Rondell Best (Taunton, MA/Brockton) under the bucket for an euphoric dunk which delighted the crowd and brought the Nighthawks back within a field goal. Fellow freshman Timothy Young (Brockton, MA/Brockton) sealed the game hitting five of six free throws to finish with a game-high 17 points.

 

Best finished the night one rebound shy of a double-double with 11 points and nine boards while fellow freshman Oasiris Yates (White Plains, NY/Valhalla) and junior John Rowley Jr. (Hartford, CT/Rockville) rounded out the Nighthawks in double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively.  Despite the loss, juniors Derek Johnson (Worcester, MA/Doherty) and Junior De La Hoz (Lawrence, MA/Central Catholic) each tallied a team-high 14 points for the AMCATS.