SPRINGFIELD, Mass. The American International men's basketball team came up just short in a double-overtime thriller with Southern New Hampshire Saturday afternoon at Butova Gymnasium, 107-104.
AIC's six-game win-streak was snapped with the loss, as the Jackets fall to 10-3 overall and 5-2 in Northeast-10 action. SNHU halted a three-game skid with the win, improving to 8-5 and 7-3 in conference play this year.
In a game that featured 20 ties, Yellow Jacket senior Bobby Harris (Berlin, N.J.) forced the first overtime, knocking down a 3-pointer from the top of the arc with four seconds left.
In the extra frame, senior Al-Shabazz Jabateh (East Orange, N.J.) hit a timely 3-pointer to put AIC back up by one late, but Penmen Elijah Bonsignore converted on a layup on the opposite end to tie it back up at 90 apiece.
American International senior Marcus Porter (New Castle, Del.) then went up for a ball on an inbounds pass under the hoop from Harris and scooped it in with just seven seconds to go.
The Penmen crossed the timeline and called timeout with five ticks left. Out of the stoppage, Bonsignore got an open look and knocked down a jumper to tie the game again as time expired.
SNHU went up by as many as six in the second overtime and a Harris 3-pointer as time expired was not enough for lead as the Penmen hung on for the hard-fought win.
Harris led AIC with 31 points, his highest scoring output of the season to date. He went 12-for22 from the floor and 5-for-11 from beyond the arc. Porter finished with 22 after scoring nine-straight over a 2:30 minute stretch in the first half.
The Yellow Jackets shot 50 percent from the field for the game while allowing SNHU 49.3 percent. The Penmen were led by Bonsignore's 41 off 16-for-20 shooting.
AIC took a slim 37-36 lead into the halftime break in a game that would stay close. SNHU got up by as many as 10 points in the opening frame, but AIC hauled it back in. Junior Cameron Dobbs (Albany, N.Y.) scored 11 of his 18 points off 3-for-4 shooting from long range.
Also finishing in double figures for the Jackets was junior Trahmier Burrell (Albany, N.Y.) with 16 and 11 from Jabateh off the bench.
AIC returns to action Tuesday, Jan. 13 when they host Stonehill in a Northeast-10 tilt. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m. from Butova Gymnasium.
