SPRINGFIELD, Mass. Senior Bobby Harris (Berlin, N.J.) scored a game-best 17 points including 10 in the second half to help lead the comeback and help top-seeded American International College defeat No. 8 Philadelphia University 58-53 in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division II East Regional from the Butova Gymnasium this evening.
AIC improves to 24-6 on the season and advance to the semifinal round tomorrow for a 7:30 p.m. affair with the winner of the No. 4 Bridgeport vs. No. 5 Southern Connecticut State match-up. The Rams see their season end at 24-8.
Down by seven at the half the Jackets used an 8-0 run with four layups from junior classmates Oscar Aussie (Ansonia, Conn.), Trahmier Burrell (Albany, N.Y.) and Cameron Dobbs (Albany, N.Y.) and senior Marcus Porter (New Castle, Del.) for the 34-33 score with just 2:43 off the clock in the frame.
Junior Derek Johnson (Conshohocken, Pa.) responded dialing one in from long range to ignite an 11-4 spurt to give Philla U their largest lead of the half at 44-38 with 9:20 to play. Junior Peter Alexis (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) scored six points during that stretch.
Harris came right back with a three to cut the lead in half at 44-41 and the teams traded buckets before it was again Harris to tickle the twine from behind the line with 6:44 on the clock to tie the game at 48 all.
The teams continued to pressure each other by forcing stops and making buckets and the lead changed hands three more times the final coming after another layup from Alexis with 1:33 left and the Rams led 53-52.
Both squads then traded empty possessions before Harris drove from the top of the key to the rack for the lay in and the 54-53 lead for AIC with just 36 ticks left.
"Coach put the ball in my hands to make a play" mentioned Harris. "I have confidence in my teammates to get open if I don't have a shot and they have confidence in me to make a shot and that's what happened."
The ensuing possession saw more fireworks as senior Nick Schlitzer (Pottsville, Pa.) went up for a three and Burrell swatted it away to a huge eruption by the crowd at the Butova and Harris nailed a pair of free throws to all but seal the game.
"I got screened on the play first-off which was a surprise to me" stated Burrell. "I just knew I needed to hustle and get back to my man because he is a shooter, coach had been saying that all game. I saw he had space and I just jumped as high as I could and got a hand on it to alter the shot. We've worked so hard and we deserve this and I had to make a play for my teammates."
The first half started well for the Jackets as they went up 9-4 after the first five minutes thanks to a pair of quick buckets from Assie early on.
However, Philadelphia used a 20-4 run to secure an 11 point cushion with 8:09 to play in the opening stanza. Schlitzer netted seven points while Johnson connected on a pair from behind the arc during the run.
AIC then used an 11-4 bulge to tighten the gap to four points at the 2:37 mark as Harris scored all of his seven first-half points over that span. The Rams then closed the half strong thanks to Johnson's five straight points including a traditional three-point play for the 33-26 score at the intermission.
American International saw three other players join Harris in double figures as Dobbs had 10 and Burrell and Porter scored 12 and 13, respectively. Porter also secured 10 boards for a double-double effort.
The Jackets out rebounded their much taller opponents with the slim 34-33 margin. Both teams also shot well as AIC went 22-for-55 (40 percent) and Philla U shot 21-for-52 (40.4 percent), however, just 8-of-27 (29.6 percent) in the second half while the hosts went 12-of-29 (41.4 percent) in the final frame.
"We were getting decent shots (in the first half), but they just weren't falling and then we were pressing a bit offensively and just weren't ourselves" commented Burkholder. "We just tried to tighten it up a bit (in the second half) told the guys to play their game, force one shot and get out in transition."
