Second half surge flies Owls past Men's Basketball
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
American Int'l (7-13,5-9 NE10) | 38 | 34 | 72 |
|
Southern Conn. St. (13-7,7-7 NE10) | 39 | 51 | 90 |
NEW HAVEN, Connecticut - The American International College men's basketball team fell 90-72 to Southern Connecticut State University on Tuesday, January 30 in Northeast-10 Conference play.
AIC is now 7-13 overall and 5-9 in the NE10.
The Owls came out hot with the first six points, but Kanye Wavezwa hit a three to open AIC's scoring, and ultimately notched nine of AIC's first 11 points with another three and a trio of free throws. Jalen Jordan then tied the game at 13-13 with a jumper just past the eight-minute mark, and on the next possession drew and hit a pair of free throws to put AIC ahead for the first time.
A brief battle back-and-forth ensued. The Owls tied the game 20-20 on a shot by Cherif Diarra, but he was assessed a technical foul after the basket for taunting. Wavezwa hit both free throws, and Justice Ellison followed with a triple to start an AIC run. Jacob Barnett and Carlos Hubb bookended another Wavezwa three to push the AIC edge to 32-20.
Southern Connecticut was down but not out, and came flapping back in a big way, scoring 17 of the next 21 points over a five-minute stretch to take a 37-36 lead, with the flip coming on a Greg Williams putback. AIC regained the edge momentarily on a pair of Jordan free throws, but Diarra knocked down a shot with nine seconds left to put the Owls up at the break, 39-38.
The Owls continued to control the game in the second half, with an early nine-point run giving the home side a 50-40 lead. A Jordan three and two free throws by Barnett shrank it back, but the home squad shot 62.9 percent in the second half, including 54.5 percent from deep, ultimately hanging 51 on the board in the period for a 90-72 win.
AIC's top scorer in the contest was Jordan, who notched 16 to go with eight boards. Ellison scored 12, while Wavezwa had 14 and dished six assists.
The Yellow Jackets return to the Butova Gymnasium for their Coaches vs. Cancer game against Franklin Pierce University on Saturday, February 3 at 3:30 p.m.