Women's Basketball pulls away in fourth to down Saint Michael's

SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - The American International College women's basketball team used a strong final frame to push past Saint Michael's College, 62-52, in Northeast-10 Conference play on Tuesday, January 16.

AIC is now 10-5 overall and 5-5 in the NE10.

Nora Young started the scoring right away, hitting a shot through contact and completing the old-school three just 17 seconds in. After a deep shot from the Purple Knights tied it, Young set up Ruzgar Christina Boyle for one of her own, returning AIC to the three-point edge. Tia-Marie Martinez followed with a layup on the next possession, but the visiting squad bounced back with five straight points and seven of the next eight, briefly leading before Briana Lee hit a free throw. Boyle and Lee scored a three and two down the stretch, ultimately helping AIC lead 15-13 after one.

Boyle scored the first five points of the second frame as well, and after Lee made it 22-15 with a layup, the Purple Knights used a timeout to try to break the AIC momentum. It worked for a few minutes, but Lee knocked in back-to-back-to-back shots to put AIC ahead by a 28-17 score. Ahliya Phillips capped things with a bucket of her own, but a pair of triples in the late minutes of the half meant AIC only took a 31-25 lead to the locker room.

AIC's offense was flat in the first minutes of the second half, and Saint Michael's took full advantage; Brianna Furch's three gave the visiting team back the lead, 35-34, 3:20 into the period. However, Lee answered with a bucket, then swiped the ball away and scored another, putting AIC firmly back in command. On the latter, she was fouled, and she hit the free throw as well. Both teams struggled from there, with only one field goal made between the teams in the final 6:10 of the third, and AIC led 40-37 at the half-hour mark.

Boyle snapped the drought in a big way, splashing a three to open the final frame, and Martinez hit a second-chance opportunity with help from a rebound and feed from Rhaymi Porter. Young then hit a jumper on the next possession and put AIC ahead 47-37. With the lead secure at 10, AIC simply held off the Purple Knights, taking full advantage of opportunities at the line. The Yellow Jackets sank 10 free throws down the stretch and won 62-52.

Lee impressed with a 21-point, 10-rebound double double. Boyle, Martinez, and Young each also reached double digits with 14, 12, and 10 points respectively. Porter grabbed a dozen rebounds to lead the team.

AIC will next visit Molloy for a nonleague game on Thursday, January 18 at 5:00 p.m.