Box Score DUDLEY, Mass. (Dec. 7) – Led by a game-high 20 points and 12 rebounds from senior forward Derek Johnson, the Anna Maria men's basketball team defeated Nichols, 84-60, in a non-conference matchup Tuesday evening. The AMCATS improve to 3-5 while the Bison dip to 2-6.

Joining Johnson with a double-double was junior forward Brad Peterson, who scored 16 points to go with 11 boards in the AMCATS' potent rebounding effort that saw the visitors hold a 44-29 advantage, including a 32-21 lead off the defensive glass.

First year forward Ryan Sheehan (North Attleboro, Mass.) paced the Bison with 14 points, while sophomore forward Kyle Mascilak (Sparta, N.J.) added 11.

Nichols jumped out to a 14-4 lead within the opening seven minutes, but an 11-0 AMCATS run capped by a Peterson layup erased the Bison lead and put the visitors ahead, 20-19, at the 8:51 mark. Nichols briefly reclaimed the lead, but a three-pointer from Junior De La Hoz capped another run that gave Anna Maria a six-point advantage with just under two minutes to play in the opening frame. De La Hoz finished the night with 12 points.

With a 41-37 lead in hand to start the second half, the AMCATS built up to an eight-point lead early on. The Bison hit one-for-one with their visitors and got as close as within four on a Michael Salis (Nashua, N.H.) three-pointer. Past the midpoint of the stanza, the AMCATS broke open the game, rattling off a 13-2 run capped by a Peterson three-point play to hold a 65-47 lead. Anna Maria held the Bison to four points over the final five minutes to seal the game.

The AMCATS shot a hot 51.7% for the game, and parlayed 13 Nichols turnovers into 20 points. Anna Maria held a 40-24 point advantage in the paint and held the Bison to 35.6% from the field.

Nichols will look to rebound Thursday night in a 7 p.m. home game against Lasell. Anna Maria hosts #20 Amherst Saturday at 3 p.m.

Box Score