Senior's Kyle Matousek (Jordan-Elbridge, NY / Jordan Elbridge HS) and Thomas Chalker (Boundbrook, NJ / Metuchen HS) showed-out on Sunday, leading the ACPHS Panthers to a 94-88 non-conference win over the Vermont Tech Knights. The Knights are now 18-8, while ACPHS is back at .500 at 9-9 overall.

The day started off celebrating Chalker and Matousek, two players who have been major contributors for Albany in recent years. Chalker has operated as the team's starting point guard since game one of his freshman year, appearing in 80 games and starting 77 of them since Fall 2015. He currently boasts career-averages of 8.8 points, 3.8 assists, and 0.9 steal per game. This year, he has started all 18 games for ACPHS and is averaging a career-best 4.6 assists and career-low 2.6 turnovers per game.

For Matousek, he has started for all three years of his Panther career after transferring before his sophomore season, appearing in 59 games and starting 54 of them. He has posted career-averages of 12.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. His senior year has been arguably his best so far, as he has recorded high-water marks in points, rebounds, field goal percentage and free-throw percentage. On top of all that, Kyle still holds the school-record for threes in a half with nine, a total he reached during a 104-42 ACPHS win over Pratt during his first season with the Panthers.

Both of these great Panthers were one for the occasion on Sunday, especially Matousek, who filled up the stat sheet from start to finish. He led the team with 29 points on 11 of 19 shooting, adding six assists, four steals and two blocks in 40 minutes of action. Chalker chipped in 13, but also had five assists and two steals of his own.

The game itself was an interesting one for Albany, as they lead for 35 minutes of it and never trailed in the second half, but allowed a 21-point lead with just under ten minutes remaining in the game to be cut to just one point in a little over seven minutes. Fittingly, it was Matousek who put the finishing touches on this win, hitting a three with 37 seconds left to put the Panthers up four and ice the game.
Vermont Tech had some outstanding individual performers in this one, particularly forward Jeremiah Shaw, who scored game-high 30 points to go along with nine rebounds and three steals, but his offensive output was not enough. The Knights committed 28 turnovers and forced just 13, despite outrebounding ACPHS 43-24.

For Albany, the other big contributor was junior forward Edward Ahanmisi (Vancouver, BC / Bodwell High), who dropped 21 points on an efficient 7 of 13 shooting. He also added sights rebounds, four assists and three steals. The Panthers turned the 28 turnovers they forced into 28 points, a big reason they were able to take down the visiting Knights.

ACPHS will have another non-conference game this Wednesday, February 6^th, when they host Bryant & Stratton – Rochester at 6pm.