Ancilla defends home court against Vikings

Host Ancilla used strong runs to close out each half to beat Glen Oaks 88-78 Saturday in MCCAA Western Conference men's basketball action. 

Amauri Moore scored four of the team's first six points in a slow start for both offenses. Darrius Roach hit a 3-pointer as the shot clock was winding down to tie the game at 9-9 at the 15:16 mark in the first half. A deep triple by Will Jamison knotted things up at 14-apiece. Roach kept the Vikings close with a couple streaks to the basket and Jamison made a pull-up jumper as the Chargers continued to connect from behind the arc to remain out front. An offensive rebound and putback by Aaron Humphrey Jr. cut the deficit to 23-22 with 10:53 to play in the opening half. 

Nate Keil drained a trey at a pivotal moment minutes later to keep the Vikings within three after Ancilla gained some momentum defensively with a series of blocks and drawing an offensive foul. Humphrey Jr. scored on a spin move in the paint and Mike Phillips hit a triple to tie the game at 30-30 at the 7:15 mark. Ancilla kept firing from deep and Phillips answered with another made field goal from behind the arc. 

A smart hesitation move in the lane by Phillips put GOCC out front 35-33 with 4:24 to play and jumper by Humphrey Jr. on the next possession pushed it to a four-point advantage for the Vikings. Akin Smith drove to the bucket to keep it a four-point lead, but the Vikings couldn't get much going on several trips down the floor after that. Ancilla went on a 9-0 run to regain the lead, 44-39, and close out the first half. 

Phillips, on a turnaround baseline jumper, scored the first field goal of the second half to make it a one-possession game. Humphrey Jr. connected on a pair of foul shots to make it a one-point contest at 17:09. And after keeping Ancilla scoreless for the first three and a half minutes of the half, Moore found Keil on the baseline with a no-look pass for a layup to regain the lead at 45-44. 

The Chargers would finally get on the board with a free throw and a layup in transition to regain the lead. Two buckets by Roach put the Vikings out front, 49-48, with 14:04 remaining in the game. Jamison was hit hard on a no-call layup but made the basket to extend the cushion to three points, but Ancilla found its touch again from 3-point land to quickly tie things up. 

Glen Oaks got three consecutive points at the foul line to take a 54-51 lead at the 12:14 mark. Ancilla got two at the stripe before Phillips drove to the basket to keep the Vikings ahead by three. Ancilla hit a triple with 9:56 to go to tie the game at 60-all before Smith muscled in a shot in the paint for a 62-60 GOCC lead. With 8:07 to play, Roach made a pair of free throws for a four-point cushion. The Chargers tied things up again at 7:14 but Phillips answered with a 3-pointer 30 seconds later. Ancilla knocked down a trey to make it 67-67 and then it was Jamison to bang in a triple a few seconds later to make it a 70-67 Viking lead. The Chargers connected from deep to tie the game at 70-70 with 5:27 remaining. 

Jamison pushed the ball up the floor after an Ancilla miss and a reverse layup put GOCC in front, 72-20, with under five minutes to play. But with 4:28 left on the clock, Ancilla hit from deep again to go up 73-72. Roach converted at the stripe to flip the table and give Glen Oaks a 74-73 advantage, but Ancilla got a field goal in the paint to pull ahead again. Roach drove the lane the next trip down the floor and was fouled. He made both free throws to make it 76-75 in favor of the Vikings with under 4 minutes to play. But Ancilla pulled ahead with a 3-pointer and closed out the game with a 13-2 run. 

Roach led Glen Oaks with 24 points, Phillips had 15, Humphrey Jr. finished with 13 and Jamison had 10. 

The win kept Ancilla in second place in the MCCAA Western Conference with an 18-6 overall mark and 7-2 record in the conference. Glen Oaks is in third place at 12-11 and 5-4 with five games remaining.