GARDEN CITY, New York - The American International College men's basketball team fell 71-58 at Adelphi University in Northeast-10 Conference play on Wednesday, January 8.

AIC is now 3-12 overall and 2-5 in the NE10.

Justice Ellison and Lovre Zaja put in the game's first two field goals to stake AIC to an early lead as the Yellow Jackets held the Panthers off the board for nearly four minutes to start the game. The hosts quickly caught up thereafter, and the rest of the first half was a back-and-forth battle, with Chase Nelson and Reece Brown sinking back-to-back threes to swing AIC into the lead, only for the Panthers to turn it around again. Two more triples by Zaja helped keep it close, and six straight by AIC in the final minute, including an Ellison buzzer-beater, sent AIC to the locker room trailing by a mere one point, 35-34.

In the second half, the Panthers started strong, nailing three deep shots to jump ahead by 10. Brown stopped the run with a bucket, and Jack Hall scored from deep shortly after, but every time AIC started to close the gap, the home squad was able to answer. The Panthers ultimately began pulling away shortly after, and from the midpoint of the period on never led by less than 10. Brown hit two free throws with 2:08 to go to bring the score within 71-58, but neither team scored the rest of the game, leaving that the final.

Brown was AIC's scoring leader with 13, while Zaja had 10 with six boards and five assists. Tyrae Washington led the game with 10 rebounds.

AIC next plays Southern Connecticut State University on Saturday, January 11 at 3:30 p.m.