Men's Basketball Opens Season with 67-64 Win over Anna Maria

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Senior guard Corey Ryser's (Tewksbury, Mass.) three-pointer with 1:21 left to play broke a 62-all tie and lifted Bridgewater State University to a season-opening 67-64 victory over visiting Anna Maria College in non-conference men's basketball action on Tuesday evening at the Tinsley Center.

Ryser finished with 14 points on the night, while senior center Samuel Johnson (North Chelmsford, Mass.) registered a double-double with team-high totals of 19 points and 11 rebounds including six off the offensive glass.  Junior guard Anthony Fortes (Providence, R.I.) added ten points off the bench as he was 10-for-13 from the free throw line. 

Bridgewater battled back from an early deficit as the Bears spotted the AMCATS a 21-6 lead with 12:34 left in the first half.  The hosts responded with a 24-6 run over the next six minutes with junior guard Brendan McDonald (Dorchester, Mass.) scoring seven points during the run and Fortes adding five free throws.

Anna Maria held a 36-33 lead at the intermission and the biggest advantage for either team the rest of the way would be six points. There would be five ties in the second half and nine lead changes.

Junior forward Anthony Click (Springfield, Mass.) knocked down a pair of free throws with 2:03 remaining in the game to account for the final tie (62-62) and to set up Ryser's heroics.  Click poured in a game-high 21 points and pulled down five boards to lead the way for Anna Maria.

After Ryser knocked down the three, junior guard Javier Bristol (Haverhill, Mass.) drove in for a layup to pull the AMCATS to within one, 65-64, with 20 seconds left.  Anna Maria forced a turnover off the ensuing inbounds pass, but Click front-rimmed a long jumper which would have given the visitors the lead.  Fortes sank a pair of free throws with five second remaining and then blocked an off-balance three-point attempt to secure the victory for the Bears.

Bristol chipped in with 12 points, nine rebounds and five steals for the visitors.

The two teams combined to turn the ball over 48 times in the game.  Bridgewater went to the line 35 times (22-for-35) compared to just 13 free throw attempts (9-for-13) for Anna Maria. The Bears also blocked ten shots led by Johnson's three.

Junior guard Shawn Yard (Brockton, Mass.) led all players with nine assists while adding two blocks and three steals.  The Bears picked up assists on 16 of their 21 made field goals.

Bridgewater will compete in the Hamilton College Tip-Off Tournament on Friday and Saturday, while Anna Maria travels to Clark University on Tuesday, November 22.