SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The American International College men's basketball team ended its eight-game losing streak in style as it won a thriller in overtime, 68-67, over Franklin Pierce University Wednesday night at Henry A. Butova Gymnasium.

The Yellow Jackets improved to 5-13 overall and 3-11 in the Northeast-10 after claiming their first win since beating Philadelphia University 67-62 December 9 in the Basketball Hall of Fame Showcase at the MassMutual Center. The Ravens fell to 13-5 overall and 9-5 in conference play with the loss.

The two teams had on big run each in the first half and were separated by just two at the half, with AIC holding a 34-32 lead. The Yellow Jackets found themselves trailing 40-38 sic minutes into the second half before going on a 13-2 run to open a 51-42 lead midway through the period.

Franklin Pierce then went on a 15-6 run to tie the game at 57 with 3:11 to go and later led 62-60 after senior guard Nigel Van Oostrum (Sheffield, England) knocked down a jumper with 1:36 remaining.

The two teams then exchanged missed opportunities before sophomore forward David Campbell (Boston, Mass.) laid the ball in off a perfect pass from sophomore guard Spencer Braithwaite (Dorchester, Mass.) to tie the game with 23 seconds to go.

The Ravens had one more chance to win the game in regulation, but a jumper from junior guard Eric Jean-Guillaume (Stamford, Conn.) fell short and the game went to overtime.

The two teams traded shots in the extra period and the Yellow Jackets trailed by one after sophomore guard Janek Schmidkunz (Berlin, Germany) hit a jumper midway through the period. Neither team managed to score in the next two minutes and AIC called for time with 22.7 second to go to setup what proved to be the game-winning play.

Sophomore forward Brennan Cooper (Springfield, Mass.) fired a pass from the top of the key to a wide open Campbell, who put it home to give the Yellow Jackets the lead for good. Franklin Pierce got two more chances at the other end to regain the lead, but Campbell stuffed sophomore forward Ellis Cooper (Northampton, Mass.), Brennan's younger brother, with four seconds to go and Jean-Guillaume's uncontested three at the buzzed hit off the rim to give AIC the victory.

The Yellow Jackets had balanced scoring in the win. Graduate guard Sesoo Ikpah (Williamstown, Mass.) scored 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field with three threes, three assists and three boards to lead AIC.

Schmidkunz finished with 14 points, three rebounds and three assists, while Braithwaite added 13 points with five assists and three steals. Brennan Cooper added nine points with four boards and four assists, while Campbell netted nine points and grabbed six boards coming off the bench.

Ellis Cooper finished with a game-high 21 points, seven boards, five assists and three steals to lead the Ravens, while Jean-Guillaume added 14 points with six assists, three boards and three steals. Van Oostrum finished with 10 points and seven assists.

Three-point shooting proved to be the big difference in the game as AIC went 12-of-26 from beyond the arc to Franklin Pierce's 5-of-11 showing from downtown. The Ravens shot 50.9 percent (28-55) from the field, while the Yellow Jackets shot 40.3 percent (25-62). Both teams were 6-of-11 at the line.

AIC will next travel to Southern New Hampshire University Saturday for a 3 p.m. Northeast-10 contest.