ARNOLD, MD. – The Anne Arundel Community College men's basketball team outlasted visiting Penn Highlands Community College, 91-89, in a divisional Region 20 game at Jenkins Gym Sunday afternoon. The Riverhawks improve to 2-2 in the division with the win.
Jeremiah Stroman led four Riverhawks in double-digit scoring with a career-high 29 points to go with six rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. Truth Norton added 19 points, a career-high eight assists, five rebounds and a pair of blocks. Malik Carroll recorded his fourth-straight double-double with 15 points on 70% shooting to go with 11 boards. Marquis James went 4-for-4 from the floor with 11 points, five rebounds, and three assists.
As a team, the Riverhawks shot a season-high 62% from the floor (38-61), and dished a season-high 24 assists in the team effort, while also recording 10 steals to reach double-digits in takeaways for the second time this season.
The Black Bears controlled the pace of the game in the first half and built up an 11-point lead with 6:12 left in the frame. AACC chipped away and twice came within six points before heading into halftime trailing by seven, 46-39.
The Riverhawks opened the second half with a 12-4 run to take a 51-50 lead less than four minutes into the frame. AACC went up by as many as six before Penn Highlands rallied to tie the game twice around the midpoint of the half.
Stroman capped a 9-2 Riverhawks run with a three-pointer with 5:27 left to extend AACC's lead to eight, 78-70. After the Black Bears climbed back to within four, Norton hit a three-pointer to keep the Riverhawks' lead at seven with 4:43 to play.
Penn Highlands hit a three-pointer to again get within four, 88-84, then inched to within two with 32 seconds left before James hit a pair of free throws to extend the lead back to four.
The Black Bears hit one more jumper and grabbed the ball after a missed AACC free throw with seven seconds left, only to see the Riverhawks trap the ball carrier at midcourt. Penn Highlands called for a time out with one second left and the last-ditch heave off the inbound was unsuccessful.
AACC led in rebounds, 35-32, and dominated the paint by a 58-36 margin.
The Riverhawks are back in action on Wednesday in a 7 p.m. Region 20 game at CCBC Catonsville.