NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The American International College men's basketball team rallied from a 21-point second half deficit to record a 78-74 overtime victory at Merrimack College Saturday in a Northeast-10 contest.

The Yellow Jackets improved to 6-11 for the season and 3-10 in the NE-10 while putting an end to their six-game losing streak. The Warriors fell to 7-11 overall and 4-9 in conference play with the loss.

Senior guard Ricky Hudson (Sewell, N.J.) scored a game-high 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the field with four threes to lead AIC to the win. He also filled the stat sheet with three assists, three rebounds and two steals.

Junior guard Janek Schmidkunz (Berlin, Germany) scored 14 points with five boards, three assists and three steals, while junior guard Jason Perrier (Bridgeport, Conn.) netted nine points with six boards. Junior guard Spencer Braithwaite (Dorchester, Mass.) also scored nine points to go with four assists and two rebounds.

Senior forward Mike Clifford (Danvers, Mass.) recorded a double-double with 18 points and a game-high 10 boards for Merrimack, while freshman guard Gelvis Solano (New York, N.Y.) added 15 points with three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Junior guard/forward Kevin Regan (Philadelphia, Pa.) chipped in with 11 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals.

The Warriors opened the game with a 9-0 run and went on to build a commanding 41-23 lead at the half. Merrimack grew its lead to as many as 21, 50-29, early in the second half and appeared to have the game well in hand.

The Yellow Jackets had other thoughts however and immediately got back into the game with a 13-2 that was capped by a three from Hudson to pull them back within ten, 52-42, with 12:56 to go in regulation.

AIC trailed by 15 (59-44) shortly after before going on a 20-4 run that started with a Hudson layup and was capped by a Schmidkunz three to give the Yellow Jackets their first lead of the game, 64-63 with 3:28 left in the second half.

The game was then tied at 64-all after a Clifford knocked down a free throw with 1:11 to go in regulation and after the two teams traded misses Perrier drained a three with just four second on the clock to put AIC ahead 67-64. Solano had the answer for the Warriors, launching a three-ball of his own just before time expired to knot the score at 67-67 and force overtime.

Junior forward Mark Ellis Jr. (Stamford, Conn.) gave the Yellow Jackets the lead for good in the extra period with a layup the put AIC ahead 72-71 with 2:05 left in the frame. Junior guard D.J. Gutridge (Neptune, N.J.) later sealed the win with four consecutive made free throws to give the Yellow Jacket the win.

AIC will next travel to Franklin Pierce University Tuesday, January 29, for a 7:L30 p.m. Northeast-10 contest.