SPRINGFIELD, Mass. The American International College men's basketball team led from wire to wire in a huge Northeast-10 win over Pace University Saturday, Feb. 7 at Butova Gymnasium, 84-54.
With the win AIC improves to 16-5 overall and 11-4 in NE-10 play, while with the loss Pace falls to 5-18 and 1-14 in league action.
On a day where American International sent 11-year NBA veteran and 1985 alum Mario Elie's number 41 to the rafters, the Yellow Jackets jumped on the Setters early and never let off.
AIC opened the game on a 20-5 run over the first 9:15 of play. During the opening stretch, junior guard Cameron Dobbs (Albany, N.Y.) hit back-to-back 3-pointers and netted seven total, while senior Al-Shabazz Jabateh (East Orange, N.J.) scored six including an emphatic fast-break dunk off a Dobbs transition pass.
A jumper from Pace's bryan Rivers brought it within 10 points with just over five minutes remaining in the half, but that would be as close as they got. The Jackets ended the half on a 15-6 run for a 41-22 lead at the break.
During the intermission the athletic department unveiled the Elie banner and got the crowd fired up for the second half.
Out of the break it was all Yellow Jackets. To open the half, senior guard Bobby Harris (Berlin, N.J.) knocked down his third from behind the arc. Not to be outdone, Dobbs knocked down his third from long range on the next possession, extending the Jacket lead to 25 just over a minute into the second frame.
The two teams would trade baskets for a few possessions before AIC junior forward Oscar Assie (Ansonia, Conn.) got free on the baseline for a two-handed jam. Assie finished with eight points and five boards. AIC continued to build on its lead from there, extending it to 34 points on a Marcus Porter (New Castle, Del.) layup with just under six minutes in the game.
Coming off back-to-back losses for the first time this season, the Yellow Jackets left with the statement win. As a team they shot 50 percent from the field (33-for-66) led by Harris' 21 points and six assists. Porter and Dobbs chipped in 17 while Jabateh added 11 off the bench. AIC knocked down eight 3-pointers as Harris went 5-of-9 from deep.
The Setters were led by Kyle Pearson with 19, who ended the game with a flush in the losing effort.
AIC returns to action Tuesday, Feb. 10 when they travel to Adelphi for a road NE-10 tilt with the Panthers. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. from garden City, N.Y.
