SPRINGFIELD, Mass. Senior Trahmier Burrell (Albany, N.Y.) registered a game-high 22 points including the game-winning slam-dunk to help propel American International College past Goldey-Beacom College, 93-92, in non-conference men's basketball action this evening from the Butova Gymnasium.
Down 78-69, the Lightning (3-9) fought using a 10-0 run to grab the 79-78 lead at the 1:31 mark. However, freshman Jayvon Pitts-Young (Portland, Maine) drained a huge three on the ensuing possession to give AIC (2-7) the 81-79 lead.
Goldey-Beacom tied the game at 81, but following a timeout Burrell trailed a missed basket with a huge tip-in for the 83-81 lead with just 19 ticks remaining.
However, a pair of free-throws by junior Shakeem Wilson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) knotted the contest again at 83 sending the game into overtime.
The Jackets took the early 85-83 edge in the OT frame, but the Lightning used a 9-3 run for the 92-88 advantage with 24 seconds to play. Again it was Pitts-Young keeping AIC within reach as he drained another three to cut the lead to just one with 17 seconds to play.
The hosts then forced a turnover on the ensuing inbound and diagramed the perfect play to set up Burrell with the slam and the 93-92 victory.
AIC narrowly edged the visitors shooting 50 percent (32-for-64) from the field while the Lightning managed to go 35-for-71 (49.3 percent). It was also just a difference of one in rebounds, 37-36, also favoring the hosts. The three-point shot also aided the Jackets to victory as they went 10-for-24 (41.7 percent).
Senior's Cameron Dobbs (Albany, N.Y.) and Oscar Assie (Ansonia, Conn.), junior Rasheed Howard (Woodbridge, N.J.), freshman Bruce Spruell (Hanover, Md.) and Pitts-Young also joined Burrell in double-digits for the game. Dobbs had 17 on 5-of-13 shooting from range while Spruell and Pitts-Young added 13 apiece.
Junior Sameen Swint (Sicklerville, N.J.) paced the Lightning offense with 21 points as Goldey-Beacom also saw four players in double-digits.
The Lightning opened the game on a 6-0 spurt and aside from a trio of 5-0 runs by the Jackets the teams traded strong defense and opportunistic scoring during the opening 20 minutes.
AIC grabbed a 13-12 lead at the 14:11 mark after Dobbs dialed in his third consecutive three-point attempt and they would again take a 20-18 lead after a lay-up by sophomore Nolan Woodward (Montreal, Quebec) with 6:28 to play.
After the initial 6-0 opening by Goldey-Beacom, neither team saw larger than a three-point lead which was held five times by the visitors.
The teams started the second-half with more of the same as they traded buckets both ways seeing three ties and eight lead changes in the first seven minutes before the Yellow Jackets began to take control.
AIC started pulling away with less than nine minutes to play as Spruelland Dobbs dialed in from long range on back-to-back possessions and Burrell followed that with a lay-up for the 64-56 advantage at the 7:33 mark.
The Jackets extended the lead to as much as nine on a pair of occasions after a Burrell lay-up and following a pair from the charity stripe by Dobbs at 6:13 and 4:03, respectively.
American International will return to action as they conclude the first semester on Saturday with a non-conference bout with Chestnut Hill at 3 p.m.
