BOSTON – On the final day of the 2024-25 regular season, the Emmanuel College men's basketball team defeated Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) rival Anna Maria, 78-72, on Saturday afternoon inside the Jean Yawkey Center. After trailing at halftime, the Saints pushed ahead less than four minutes into the second half and held on for the hard-fought win.
With the win, Emmanuel moves to 5-20 overall and 4-10 in the GNAC, narrowly missing a postseason spot. Anna Maria drops to 9-16 overall and 6-8 in conference play as they prepare for a GNAC Tournament Play-In Game on Monday night.
Before tipoff, the Saints honored Class of 2025 members
Teddy Kelly and
Justin Elkin for their contributions to the men's basketball program and the Emmanuel Athletics Department.
The teams went back and forth throughout the first 13 minutes, with neither leading by more than four. After a
Connor Hanavan layup trimmed the AMCATS' lead to two at the 8:44 mark, a 6-0 Anna Maria run pushed the visitors ahead, 26-18. Five minutes later, a three-pointer from
Sean Zabari extended the Anna Maria margin to 11. Emmanuel responded with a 9-2 surge to close the half, capped by a
Teddy Kelly three-pointer, cutting the deficit to 38-34 at the break.
The Saints wasted no time after halftime, erasing the deficit as
Mahari Guerrier put them ahead 44-43 just 3:27 into the second half. Guerrier stayed hot, later knocking down a mid-range jumper and a three-pointer to give Emmanuel its largest lead of the night at 58-51. Anna Maria fought back, chipping away before reclaiming the lead with 5:44 remaining on another basket from Sean Zabari.
Ismani Cepeda stepped up in the closing minutes to power Emmanuel back in front. He drilled a three-pointer at the 2:27 mark and followed with a layup 35 seconds later to regain the lead. On the defensive end, Cepeda made three crucial plays with two emphatic blocks, a steal, and another layup, all between the 2:07 and :37 marks. The Saints remained steady at the free-throw line, sinking all six attempts down the stretch to close out a 78-72 victory over Anna Maria.
Guerrier led the Saints with a game-high 27 points on an efficient 10-of-13 shooting. Cepeda added 10 points while dishing out eight assists. Anna Maria was led by Gabe Armstead's 16 points and Sean Zabari's 15 in the loss.
Up next, Anna Maria will begin preparations for a GNAC Tournament Play-In Game scheduled for Monday night. Emmanuel concludes their season at 5-20, with three of the five victories coming in the month of February.