![Men's basketball uses complete effort to handle Owls](/images/2021/4/8/AIC_Mens_Basketball_89.jpg?max_width=600)
Men's basketball uses complete effort to handle Owls
SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts – A balanced scoring attack and a stifling defense were keys to victory as the American International College men's basketball team turned in a 76-57 win against Northeast-10 Conference rival Southern Connecticut State University on Tuesday, November 23.
FAST FACTS:
Final Score: AIC 76, Southern Connecticut 57
Records: AIC improves to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in NE10 play, while Southern Connecticut drops to 2-2 on the season and 0-1 in the NE10
Location: Henry Butova Gymnasium, Springfield, Massachusetts
KEY STATS:
Southern Connecticut:
Aaron Russell: 13 points, four rebounds
Lyron Bennett: 12 points, four rebounds
Ulyen Coleman: 11 points
AIC:
Carlos Hubb: 12 points, three rebounds
Xion Golding: 11 points, five rebounds
Walter Covington: 11 points
Donovan Miller: Six points, six assists
Tyrae Washington: Six points, 11 rebounds
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Owls won the opening tip, but it was Xion Golding who got the game going, putting home a jumper in the paint just 40 seconds in, and following that by blocking an Isaiah Boissard shot at the other end. Lyron Bennett answered with a three to give the Owls the lead briefly, only for Golding to pick up a steal and score on it on the next SCSU possession to give AIC back the lead. The teams traded baskets, with Tyrae Washington and Donovan Miller getting in on the action, and five minutes into the half, AIC held a 10-7 edge.
- AIC went on a run, started with a Golding free throw and then layup, and followed by a Franklyn Batista dunk. The Owls cut it back to three with a triple from Bennett and a Zack Penn jumper, but Golding hit a shot and Carlos Hubb followed on the next possession, and Hubb answered another Penn layup with a three from Golding just shy of the midpoint of the half, putting the hosts ahead 22-14.
- AIC continued to add more players to the stat sheet as Shyheim Hicks drained a corner three on a fast break from Washington, and Jalen Jordan sank a jumper to extend AIC's advantage to 27-17 at 12:14. The defense kept up its end too, forcing bad shots and gathering rebounds.
- Jordan and Hubb added a two and a three respectively before the Owls broke AIC's run, but the Yellow Jackets kept pounding away, building up to a 37-19 advantage after Walter Covington nailed a triple, and ultimately the last bucket of the half was another Hicks deep ball as AIC took a 42-25 lead into the break.
- AIC continued to add to the edge out of the halftime, as Miller and Covington landed the first two shots of the second frame and Batista sank two free throws to inflate the lead to 48-25 before a Bennett Jumper stopped the run briefly. AIC quickly responded as Covington was set up by Miller for a three, and less than a minute later, Miller sent Covington another pass for another triple, pushing AIC ahead by a 54-27 margin.
- AIC's defense continued to limit the Owls, who had just five points in the first eight minutes of the second half, while the lead expanded to 31 after Buka Peikrishvili landed a three off a pass from Golding at the 7:47 mark; the Yellow Jackets were up 61-30 at that point.
- The Owls did hit a few shots, but AIC had answers each time, and with just 6:37 to go in the game, Hubb landed back-to-back free throws to bring the lead to 68-36, a 32-point margin that was the high-water mark for the game.
- Both teams ultimately emptied their benches with the result not in question, and the game concluded with AIC ahead 76-57.
SHARPSHOOTERS:
- AIC fired a 48.4 percent shooting night, which was a season high.
- The team hit 31 field goals, also a high-water mark on the year.
- The playmaking was an integral factor, as AIC had assists on 16 of the team's 31 baskets, also a season-best; Miller's six helpers were a season-high for an individual.
DEFEND THE HIVE:
- AIC held the Owls to 20-for-64 shooting, matching the numbers exactly from the team's win over Holy Family on November 14. The Owl's five three-point hits were the fewest in a game for an AIC opponent all season as well.
- They also caged the Owls on the glass, keeping Southern Connecticut to 30 rebounds.
NEXT UP:
- AIC will have an extended break, as the Yellow Jackets next play at Post University to start a three-game road swing on December 1.