Men's Basketball dominates second half to finish season sweep of Bentley

WALTHAM, Massachusetts - The American International College men's basketball team closed strong, shooting 62.1% in the second half to earn a 73-67 win at Bentley University in Northeast-10 Conference play on Wednesday, January 24.

AIC is now 6-12 overall and 4-8 in the NE10.

The early game was a plodding affair; both teams made just three shots in the first minutes, though all were from deep. The score was 9-9 before the first two-point basket was made by Kanye Wavezwa at the 7:29 mark to put AIC up by two.

Only nine combined points were scored in the next six minutes of play, as strong defense forced bad shots at both ends. Jalen Jordan hit a jumper that put AIC up by a scant 17-16 score 15 minutes into the game.

The stretch run of the half did pick up a bit. AIC scored nine points, with Justice Ellison accounting for two field goals and Wavezwa hitting another deep ball, giving AIC a 26-23 edge at the break.

The slow first half was essentially a warmup. The Falcons tied the game seven seconds into the back frame, only for AIC to pop in 10 points thanks in part to a Jacob Barnett and-one and yet another triple from Wavezwa. Bentley began scoring as well, cutting back into the AIC advantage with threes and free throws. The lead fluctuated between two and eight points as both teams made baskets, right through to the final five minutes of play.

The Falcons pushed, trying to overcome the deficit, and AIC seemed to respond every time. The dagger finally came in the form of Aguibou Balde, who flew to the rim and poked home the rebound of an Ellison miss with 2:17 to play to put the Yellow Jackets up 66-61, drawing a timeout from the Falcons. Ellison then swiped the ball on the next possession, sending Jordan breaking away for a layup. AIC made free throws from there to ice the game and finish the sweep.

Ellison led all scorers with 21, along with eight rebounds and four helpers. Wavezwa scored 14 points and dished four assists, while Balde scored 11.

AIC returns to action on Saturday, January 27 at 3:30 p.m. at the Butova Gym against Adelphi University.