Worcester State 93, Anna Maria 90 3 OT
Worcester, MA --- Senior Maurice Horton
(Detroit, MI) recorded his 11th double-double of the season with 27
points and 13 rebounds as he helped propel Worcester State to a
93-90 triumph this afternoon over local rival Anna Maria in
non-conference men’s basketball action.
The Lancers have now won five straight over the AMCATS (6-8) and
nine of their last 11 meetings since the 1997-98 season. The
contest also marked the second such time there ever being a game to
go into five frames with the last one coming in a 116-112 setback
against Boston State (UMass Boston) in the winter of 1966.
Worcester State (7-7) was also paced by junior Dave
Douillette (Bridgewater, MA) who notched 19 points with 7
boards while classmate Ryan Testagrossa (Athol,
MA) added 18 points and 6 caroms with three made three pointers.
Sophomore Jamaal Atkins (Webster, MA) also grabbed
9 rebounds before he fouled out in the second overtime. Horton
finished with a game-best 6 assists.
Junior Chris Pinsonault (Marlboro, MA) led five Anna Maria players
in double-figures with 27 points with five made three pointers.
Third-year Junior De La Hotz (Lawrence, MA) tallied 18 points while
freshman Anthony Click (Springfield, MA) and classmate Jeremy Ross
(Holden, MA) chipped in with 14 and 12 points, respectively. Junior
Derek Johnson (Worcester, MA/Doherty) paced the visitors with 12
points and 13 boards.
The AMCATS had a late 62-52 lead with 6:22 left in regulation
before Worcester State went on a 12-2 spurt to tie the game up
64-64 four minutes later. At 1:43 De La Hoz converted a lay-up to
put Anna Maria ahead by two before both teams traded free throws to
make the score 67-65 with 62 seconds remaining.
The Lancers then went down the floor, ran a play and Douillette
nailed an open jump-shot to send it into overtime.
Douillette began the first extra session the same way he ended
regulation with a trey before De La Hoz responded with a
three-pointer to knot the game 70-70 at the 3:19 mark. Both squads
would trade shots from three point land before Pinsonault gave the
AMCATS the two-point lead with a pair of free throws. The Lancers
then promptly knotted the score with 70 seconds left on two points
in the paint by Douillette.
Following a WSC timeout, Anna Maria had a sequence that saw two
players miss layups before freshman Javier Bristol (Haverhill, MA)
logged the go-ahead points with 35 seconds left (77-75). Atkins
would finish would only four points for the Lancers, but he came up
in the clutch to deliver a lay-up to bring the game into the second
overtime.
The AMCATS scored the first points of the second extra period with
back-to-back field goals to go up by four with 3:18 left. A trey by
Testagrossa got the lead back to one (81-80), but the visitors
connected with a successful attempt from downtown by Ross and took
advantage of a Lancer miscue to lead by six with 58 seconds
remaining (86-80).
Worcester State then received a traditional three-point play by
Horton before Testagrossa deflected the ensuing inbounds pass up in
the air and back to Hamilton just as WSC’s sideline called a
timeout. After the break, Horton would tie the game for the 13th
time with a three pointer with 30 ticks left to put the game into
the third frame.
Ross started things off with a good lay-up before the freshman
Tim Henault (Lunenburg, MA) registered his only
points of the game with the go-ahead three-pointer (89-88) for WSC.
With 1:27 remaining, Douillette put the Blue and Gold up by three,
but the AMCATS would score a field goal on a conversion by Click to
put the visitors behind by just one (91-90) with 59 seconds on the
clock.
Both teams would turn the ball over once before Testagrossa finally
came up with the ball on a steal and he was immediately fouled
with 10 seconds left. After he drilled both of his attempts from
the charity stripe to make it a three point game (93-90),
Pinsonault had a golden opportunity to put the game into its fourth
extra stanza, but his bid rimmed off of the basket to give
Worcester State the hard fought victory.
The opening stanza saw the lead change hands nine times while there
were also six ties. Ahead 26-24 with 3:08 left, the AMCATS would go
on a 12-4 spurt to close out the opening half with the visitors up
35-28 at the intermission.
Anna Maria would lead by as many as 13 in the opening minutes of
the second period (43-40) before both squads started to trade
baskets until the Lancers big run to tie the score.
Worcester State ended the contest with advantages in total rebounds
(53-49), offensive boards (24-18) and second chance points
(16-8).
Both teams shot just over 40 percent for the game and very well
from beyond the three point arc. The Lancers connected for 9 for 23
(39%) while the AMCATS went 12-for-28 from downtown (42%).
Testagrossa would set the school's modern record for minutes
played in one game with 52 out of a possible 55 minutes.
The two squads continue their respective league schedules on
Saturday with afternoon games. Worcester State will play Framingham
State on the road at 5 PM while Anna Maria entertains Colby-Sawyer
with a 1 o’clock start time.