SPRINGFIELD, Mass. American International junior guard Cameron Dobbs (Albany, N.Y.) knocked down eight 3-pointers as the men's basketball team cruised to a Northeast-10 home victory over New Haven Wednesday night at Butova Gymnasium, 71-57.
With the win AIC improves to 19-5 overall and 14-4 in NE-10 play, while with the loss New Haven falls to 14-11 and 9-10 in league action.
The Yellow Jackets caught fire early, scoring the game's first six points and increased the advantage to 26-12 over the first 11:12 of play after back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers from Dobbs in three straight possessions. He added two more to make it five straight. He finished the half 5-of-7 from behind the arc with 15 points.
AIC led by as many as 19 in the opening half, reaching that feat on a Trahmier Burrell (Albany, N.Y.) layup with 1:21 left. Porter scored eight and grabbed nine boards in the first half on his way to double-double. The Jackets took a 41-27 lead into the intermission.
Out of the break, the Chargers drew first blood to bring it within 12 (41-29), but after New Haven swiped the ball on the Jackets ensuing possession, AIC senior Al-Shabazz Jabateh (East Orange, N.J.) responded with a thievery of his own and finished with a fast-break dunk.
Porter and classmate point guard Bobby Harris (Berlin, N.J.) hit back-to-back 3's to make it a 20-point game and a Dobbs long range splash later in the game made it 23, the biggest lead for AIC in the game.
The Chargers chipped away and came as close as 11 with 7:10 to go, but a Porter three-point play and another Dobbs 3-pointer bumped AIC back up and the Yellow Jackets cruised from there.
Dobbs finished 8-of-11 from deep with 24 points while Porter notched his third double-double with 16 points and 10 boards. Harris also finished in double figures with 12 points. The Jackets shot 48.3 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc.
AIC makes their final trip of the regular season Saturday, Feb. 21 when they visit Le Moyne. Tip-off is slated for 3:30 p.m. from Syracuse, N.Y.
