Franklin, MA – An absolute thriller took place in Pieri Gymnasium on Monday night, as the GNAC playoffs got underway with the #7 seed Dean Bulldogs defeating the #10 seed Anna Maria Amcats, 89-87.
The game got underway, and the Bulldogs were in complete control in the first half, scoring a total of 47 points to head into halftime with Bulldog Nation on their feet. The Bulldogs shot 49% from the field while the Amcats shot 36%. Frankie Idlett (1) being the leading scorer with 25 points was a crucial leader for the Bulldog offense. While Idlett wasn’t the only scoring option for Dean, the Bulldogs had many scoring weapons to their arsenal. Billy Ray Barnes (22) had 22 points, Ja’maine Davenport (0) scored 15, and Christian Yates (23) putting up 12 in the contest.
The Amcats were trailing early on in the contest but managed to make it a nailbiter when it mattered most. Gabriel Armstead (23) was the leading scorer for Anna Maria with 21, while Ray Carter (5) backing him up with 19 of his own and Jayden Dickerson (11) right behind him with 12. Heading into the half, the Amcats shot 47% from the field and 44% from beyond the arc.
Coming out of halftime, the Amcats flipped the switch and made this one an absolute thriller. Both teams were trading buckets, turnovers, and fouls left and right. Bulldog Nation showed out tonight as every fan were wearing black for this blackout game. Pieri Gynasium was as loud as it’s ever been this season for the Bulldogs and the energy could not have come at a better time.
With Anna Maria making it a one-point game multiple times heading into the final two minutes, the Bulldogs knew they couldn’t lose the momentum from the home faithful. The physicality of the defense Dean was playing limited the scoring opportunities for the Amcats as they couldn’t find any way to respond. This GNAC thriller came down to the final 10 seconds of the game where Idlett sealed the victory with the game-winning layup to close this one out.
Idlett had a chance to speak in the postgame interview. He said “All props to my teammates. The whole game had lots of ups and downs for this team. Props to Anna Maria, they’re a great team, great coach, great players. It’s our night, we’re here to make a run.” Idlett highlighted how electric the home crowd was in the first home playoff game since 2018-19. When asked about the momentum continuing into the Quarterfinals, Idlett said “Absolutely. Got to take care of our bodies tonight, [and] be ready for tomorrow."
The Bulldogs dream for the GNAC title lives on as they will be heading into the Quarterfinals as they will be on the road facing the #2 seed Lasell Tuesday night, tipoff is at 7 pm sharp.
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