Men's Basketball dominates Assumption with team effort

WORCESTER, Massachusetts - Five different players reached double figures in scoring as the American International College men's basketball team downed Assumption University 78-65 in Northeast-10 Conference play on Tuesday, December 5.

AIC improves to 4-5 overall and 2-3 in the NE10.

Justice Ellison and Jalen Jordan knocked in threes on AIC's first two possessions, and Aguibou Balde sank a pair of field goals to force an early Greyhounds timeout. It did not help much as Lovre Zaja drilled a triple, Ellison and Jordan added field goals, and Zaja hit again from deep to give AIC a 20-7 lead at 6:28.

AIC kept the lead steady in the high single to low double digits for most of the first half, with Kanye Wavezwa hitting several shots to add to AIC's tally, but a late run by the Greyhounds cut into it significantly, and AIC went to the room up 37-34.

The Greyhounds kept rolling into the second half with the first six points to take a 40-37 lead, but Jacob Barnett joined the party, countering with a three to tie the contest, and an and-one by Ellison followed by a jumper and a regular three flipped the script right back with 5:20 gone in the second.

The Greyhounds kept pushing, but it was to no avail, as AIC had an answer for every point the home side added to the board. Wavezwa and Ellison hit key triples down the stretch, with Ellison's shot at 14:32 made with a defender's hand in his face serving as an emotional dagger. Assumption never came close again as AIC closed out the 78-65 win.

Ellison's 25 led the game, while Jordan had an impressive night with 15 points, seven boards, two assists, two steals, and no turnovers. Zaja, Balde, and Wavezwa each added 11 points; Zaja narrowly missed a double-double with nine assists, and both totals were season bests for him. 

The team continues its month of away games on December 9 at the University of Bridgeport, with a 3:00 p.m. tipoff.