Lions trail early, can't catch AMCats, 92-65.

PAXTON, Mass. – The Anna Maria College men’s basketball team jumped out to a 20-3 lead in the first five and a half minutes, and held on for a 92-65 victory over Eastern Nazarene in a The Commonwealth Coast Conference matchup at The Fuller Activities Center on Saturday afternoon. With the win, the AMCATS improve their record to 8-11 overall and 3-4 in the conference, while the Lions fall to 4-15 on the season and 2-5 in the TCCC.

The AMCATS shot a hot 51.4% from the floor during the first period as they held a 17-2 edge in points off of turnovers going into the break with a 50-23 advantage.

The AMCATS carried over the momentum into the second half, continuing to shoot the ball well, including hitting 48.6% from the floor and draining 4-of-7 from beyond the arc.

The Lions also played well in the second half, shooting 44.4% from the field and matching Anna Maria with 42 points in the period. However, the first half deficit proved to be insurmountable for the Lions, as Anna Maria held on for the 92-65.

The Lions were paced by sophomore Richard Lively (Pembroke, Mass.) who had a team-high 13 points, while sophomore Michael McCoy (Altamonte Springs, Fla.) added 11 points of his own. Freshman Josh Butler (Nantucket, Mass.) also chipped in with six points and a game-high nine rebounds in the loss.

Both teams return to the court on Wednesday when they the Lions host Western New England College at 8:00 pm, and the AMCATS go on the road to face Nichols College at 8:00 pm.