Men's Basketball Storms Back to Defeat Cardinals

CATONSVILLE, Md. — The Anne Arundel Community College men's basketball team erased a 14‑point second‑half deficit and closed the game on a 14–2 run to defeat CCBC Catonsville, 72–69, on Wednesday evening, earning a gritty Region 20 divisional matchup.  

The Riverhawks (3–9, 2–6) found their spark behind sophomore guard Ryan Stacy, who delivered a commanding 27-point performance on 12-of-16 shooting, scoring 17 in the second half while repeatedly answering Catonsville buckets with tough finishes at the rim and timely jumpers.

AACC battled through turnover trouble in the first half. The Riverhawks' 12 giveaways before the break put Catonsville in control, and the Cardinals used second‑chance points and hot perimeter shooting to build a 34–28 halftime lead. When Catonsville stretched the margin to 14 with 14:03 left, the game looked in danger of slipping away.

AACC forward Al‑Ameen Sanni anchored the comeback with a dominant two‑way effort. Sanni finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3 assists, including several defensive stands that halted Catonsville's momentum. His physicality on the glass and rim protection gave AACC second-life opportunities that began to tilt the game.

Sophomore guard Zamar Jones delivered the momentum swing AACC needed. With the Riverhawks trailing 58–52, Jones drilled a deep three from the right wing, then hit another with 51 seconds left to break a 67–67 tie and put AACC ahead for good, 70–67.

Jones finished with 14 points, all timely—four threes, each arriving at pressure points when AACC needed scoring stability.

Forward John Hutton added 10 points and five rebounds, including a clutch go-ahead three with 4:49 remaining that gave AACC its first lead since the opening minutes. His interior presence in the closing stretch kept Catonsville from reclaiming momentum.

Catonsville hit a three with 1:06 remaining to tie the score at 67, but the Riverhawks responded with poise. After Jones's dagger trey, the Cardinals cut it to 70–69 at the free‑throw line, but AACC's defense forced two contested misses in the final seconds. Sanni secured the rebound attempt and buried two free throws with one tick left on the clock to seal the win.

With two Region 20 divisional victories in their last three outings, the Riverhawks will have to wait until February 11 to look to climb the DII standings as they face three Division I regional foes and an NCAA opponent before returning to DII action at College of Southern Maryland.