NEW HAVEN, Connecticut- The American International College women's basketball team continued its journey to lock up the Northeast-10 Southwest Division #2 seed when it traveled to take on the Owls of Southern Connecticut. The Yellow Jackets trailed for almost 32 minutes but stole an 80-75 game against the Owls.

Dana Watts led AIC with 17 points, while also adding 10 rebounds and four blocks. Her 17 and 12 gives her 17 double-doubles this season, tying her for the NCAA Division II lead. Imani Stepney add 14 points while leading the Yellow Jackets with 15 boards, including eight on the offensive end. Destine Perry had 15 points and five steals and rounding out the double digits scorers was Alyssa Guyon with 14 points and six rebounds. For the first time in her career, Guyon has scored double digits in three straight games.

Despite losing the tip, the Owls were first on the board with a triple in the right corner by Maria Weselyj. Page Decker hit a long ball while Taylor Mclaughlin knocked down two from behind the arc in the first three minutes of the game. Dominque Boyd nailed the Yellow Jackets' first field goal with a midrange jumper. SCSU continued to click in the first quarter, after 10 minutes of play they led 25-15.

Imani Stepney and Watts had a block party on the first two possessions by the Owls. Despite that, the Owls opened the second frame on a 5-0 before Alyssa Guyon hit a layup with almost seven minutes on the clock. Stepney completed the old-school three-point play with 5:49 to make it 30-22, and help AIC climb back into the game. Destine Perry helped out at the 4:35 mark with a long ball from the left corner to make it a five-point game, 30-25.

After a pair of free throws by the Owls, Watts grabbed an offensive rebound and then passed it to Jayda Gilmore, who made knocked down the elbow jumper while drawing the foul. Gilmore missed the free throw, but Perry stole the rebound away from an Owl player and laid it up for two and made it 32-29. The Owls ended the quarter on a 9-2 run as they led at the half, 43-31.

The Owls didn't lose any steam coming out of the half, opening with a 5-2 run and making it 48-33. Rashana Siders knocked down a triple to stop the bleeding, and on the next possession Watts hit a layup to make it 48-38. Siders hit another triple at 6:23 to cut the AIC deficit down to single digits. Almost a minutes later, Siders caught a pass curling from the baseline and knocked it down to make it a four point game, 48-44. After a two by the Owls, Stepney grabbed an offensive board, her seventh of the night, and brought it back to within four. As the teams headed into the last quarter, AIC trailed 58-55.

With 8:40 Perry made a layup to make it 58-57. She then stole the inbounds pass and drew the shooting foul. She made both free throws to give the Yellow Jackets their first lead of the night.

After forcing an Owl turnover, Gilmore hit a jumper from the line to extend their lead. SCSU turned the ball over again and Watts found Perry wide open on the backdoor cut and laid it in as the SCSU coach called a timeout, visibly upset.

Out of the timeout, the Owls ended AIC's three minute run with a pair of free throws with roughly 6:30 left in the game. Abby Hurlbert made it a two point game, 67-65 on a three from the wing, but Stepney answered with a layup to make it a two-possession game again.
Just a minute remained when Perry knocked down a free throw to make it a seven point game. The Owls drove the ball inside and found themselves at the line for a pair, which they knocked down, cutting the deficit to 74-69 with 48 seconds left. Despite trailing for almost 32 minutes the Yellow Jackets stole an 80-75 game against the Owls.

The Yellow Jackets will return to action on Saturday, February11 at 1:30 when they host Pace.