SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts- The American International College women's basketball team opened 2017 against Assumption College in Northeast-10 play on Wednesday, January 4. The Yellow Jackets fell to the Greyhounds, 66-56.

Dana Watts and Jayda Gilmore each had 18 points. Watts had seven rebounds and two blocks, while Gilmore chipped in four boards, four steals, and three assists. Imani Stepney scored 13 points and grabbed four rebounds in the loss.

Both teams got off to a rough start, as at the end of the first quarter the score was eight-all. The teams got things going in the second quarter. A jumper by Gilmore put AIC up two a minute into the quarter. On their next two possessions, the Greyhounds strung together three points and took the 11-10 lead. They extended their lead to four at the 6:27 mark before the Yellow Jackets made a run and tied it at 16. Down three with 26 seconds left, Tianna Conway made a free throw to make it a two-point game at the half, 22-20.

At the start of the second half, the teams traded baskets and the Greyhounds retained the lead at 28-25. With 6:09 in the third, Stepney gave the Yellow Jackets the one-point advantage on a layup, 31-30. The Greyhounds answered with a layup of their own to regain the lead. There was 2:09 on the clock and the score tied at 38 when the Greyhounds knocked down a pair at the line. After three quarters, the Greyhounds led 44-40.

The Greyhounds extended their lead to 14 at the 5:33 mark, their largest of the game. The Yellow Jackets made it an eight-point game with three and half left, but that was as close as they got. Assumption took the game by a score of 66-56.

The Yellow Jackets return to action on Saturday, January 7 when they host Southern New Hampshire at 1:30 p.m.