SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts – The American International College women's basketball team took care of business on the strength of its star players, downing Dominican University 68-56 on Friday, December 19.
AIC is now 7-3 overall.
Tia-Marie Martinez opened the game with a three, but much of the first quarter was back-and-forth as the Chargers scored five straight before Ruzgar Christina Boyle answered with four. Martinez, Boyle, and Chelsea Reeves all knocked down threes during the stretch run of the frame, and AIC held a 22-20 lead after one as a result.
The Chargers scored five in a row to kick off the second and take the lead, but AIC quickly bounced back, thanks in large part to Reeves splashing back-to-back shots from beyond the arc; she had 10 points in a row for AIC, which effectively held Dominican off down the stretch and scored the last basket on a putback by Alicia Aznar Chamorro, taking a 38-34 edge to the locker room.
As she did in the first half, Martinez drained a three to start the second half, and for much of the quarter the lead drifted between two and seven for the Yellow Jackets until the late stages of the period. It was there that AIC built its first double-digit advantage, with Reeves sinking four straight free throws, and AIC ultimately went into the final frame with a 54-45 advantage.
Looking to avoid a repeat of the previous game's struggles, Keyvanna Bennett and Boyle hit shots early in the fourth, with the latter draining a three. Boyle and Martinez repeated the pattern of two and three to build up a 15-point edge with 5:14 to go, and then defended strongly down the stretch to put the game away with the 68-56 win.
Reeves scored 21 to lead the game on 5-of-7 shooting including all three three-point attempts and a perfect 8-for-8 at the line; she also grabbed eight boards. Boyle scored 16, while Bennett had a double-double with 13 and 11, and Martinez scored 12. Eden Monka grabbed 11 rebounds as well.
The team has one remaining game before the calendar flips to 2026, as the Yellow Jackets host Queens College on Saturday, December 20 at 1:30 p.m.
