INDIANA, Pa. The American International College men's basketball team fell in the final day of the Indiana Regional Medical Center (IRMC) Classic Saturday night to the host Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) in non-conference action, 77-60.
With the loss AIC falls to 0-6, while with the win IUP, improves to 4-3 to start the season.
For the second night in-a-row, the Yellow Jackets started the game off with a freshman Bruce Spruell (Hanover, Md.) trey. Junior guard Juwan Moody (Pontiac, Mich.) found Spruell on the opening possession for the long range bucket to put AIC on the board first.
American International senior Cameron Dobbs (Albany, N.Y.) got going early, hitting all three of his shot attempts from beyond the arc to help AIC claim its largest lead of the half with 8:48 left, 25-19.
The Crimson Hawks responded, rattling off 11 straight, which included seven straight points from Dante Lombardo, to push the home team up, 30-25. IUP closed out the remaining minutes with a 10-7 advantage to take a 40-32 lead into the intermission.
Out of the break, Hawk Tevin Hanner drove the lane twice for two layups, extending the lead to double figures for the first time of the contest. Dobbs fired back quickly, hitting another three and fed by Moody for his fifth assist of the game to bring it back within nine in the early going, 44-35.
IUP then used a lengthy and devastating 25-8 to run the edge over 20 points and the Crimson Hawks never let up. IUP made 13-23 shots (56.5%) in the second half to go along with 10-11 from the charity stripe. The Hawks finished the game shooting 56.0 percent while AIC converted 19-56 (36.3%) from the floor.
The Yellow Jackets scored the game's final seven points, holding IUP scoreless over the final two minutes of play, and capped it off with a Henry Vilfort (Albany, N.Y.) lay-in.
Dobbs led the Jackets with 14 including hitting 4-10 from behind the arc, while senior forward Oscar Assie (Ansonia, Conn.) chipped in 10 points and a team-high five boards. IUP edged AIC on the glass slightly, 34-29. Brandon Norfleet paced the Crimson Hawks with 26 points.
AIC returns to action Wednesday, Dec. 2 when Pace University visits Butova Gymnasium in a clash of NE-10 Southwest Division foes. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.
