Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The American International College men's basketball team recorded a 71-67 over Saint Michael's Saturday afternoon at Butova Gymnasium. The Yellow Jackets snapped a four-game losing skid as they improved to 8-11 on the season and 5-8 in the Northeast-10, while the Purple Knights dropped to 6-11 overall and 4-10 in conference play with their 10th straight loss.

Saint Michael's shot 62.5 percent (15-24) from the floor and were 14 for 16 from the free throw line in the second half, but were unable to overcome a 30-18 halftime deficit. AIC shot 54.3 percent (25-46) from the field in the game and hit 14 of 24 attempts (58.3%) from the field in the second half. The Yellow Jackets were just 19 of 30 from the free throw line in the game.

Sophomore forward Aikeem Vanderhorst (Bay Shore, N.Y.) netted a game-high 19 points on 6 of 9 shooting from the floor and a 7 for 12 performance at the free throw line and grabbed six rebounds. Freshman guard Sesoo Ikpah (Williamstown, N.J.) tallied 13 points with four rebounds and three assists, while junior guard Vernon Dupree (Wilmington, Del.) and senior guard Jeff Dosado (Montreal, P.Q.) added 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Sophomore guard Ryan Rodriques (Acushnet, Mass.) led Saint Michael's, who's last win was against AIC on Dec. 4, with 17 points and four rebounds and freshman guard Chris Hurley (Watertown, Mass.) netted 14 points with three boards off the bench. Senior forward Brian Monahan (Kinderhook, N.Y.) fell just short of a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds.

AIC went on an early 17-0 run to take a 22-5 lead with 6:35 to go in the first half, but Saint Michael's used a 9-4 run in the final 3:42 to head into the locker room down 30-18. The Purple Knights continued to chip away at the Yellow Jackets' lead and made it a two-point game at 59-57 on a Hurley 3-pointer with 3:39 remaining in the contest.

Ikpah scored the next four points in the game on a layup and a pair of free throws to push AIC's lead back to six and Vanderhorst made it a seven-point game with 2:15 to go on a jumper just outside the paint.

The Purple Knights pulled within three points trice in the final minute, once on a Monahan lapup and later on three made free throws from senior guard James Sorrentine (Pawtucket, R.I.), but the Yellow Jackets went four for six at the line in the closing seconds to secure the win.

AIC returns to action Wednesday when it travels to Assumption for a 7:30 p.m. Northeast-10 contest.