SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - An offensive explosion nearly a decade in waiting carried the American International College women's basketball team to a 92-85 Northeast 10 Conference win over Southern New Hampshire University on Saturday, January 31.

AIC is now 14-6 with an 8-4 NE10 record, good for third in the conference.

The Penmen took an early lead despite back-to-back makes from Keyvanna Bennett, but AIC went on a run started by a Tia-Marie Martinez triple. Ruzgar Christina Boyle hit a pair of threes to help build AIC's advantage, and made two more down the stretch, including a last-season bucket that put AIC up 27-18 after one.

In the second, Martinez started AIC's scoring with a rebound redirect after the Penmen opened with a deep make. Bennett later hit a three from the left that gave AIC its first 10-point lead, though the Penmen quickly countered to shrink the lead to five before Boyle hit from range again. Peyton Grant added her name to the scoresheet down the stretch with a two and a three, but the Penmen notched the final four of the half to head into the locker room trailing 47-38.

AIC came into the third looking to pull away and did, with Bennett and Chelsea Reeves tacking five more points on followed by a two and a three from Martinez. Boyle followed with another long make to extend the lead to 62-43 with 5:42 left in the frame. Though AIC's lead shrank to 16 by the end of the quarter, it was not for lack of scoring, as Martinez landed two more from deep late in the frame.

Boyle started the scoring in the fourth, but the Penmen went on a strong run to pull as close as within five with 45 seconds left in regulation despite continued scoring for the Yellow Jackets that included Sarai Gurley hitting from distance. AIC iced it at the line, however, with Martinez, Eden Monka, and Reeves each making free throws to put the win away.

AIC went 15-of-32 from deep in a 33-of-74 game overall, with six threes from Boyle and four from Martinez; the duo scored 24 and 18 respectively, with Bennett and Reeves each adding an additional 15. Monka scored six and grabbed a team-best seven boards. AIC won the turnover battle, 19-8.

The Yellow Jackets had not scored 90 or more in an NE10 game in nearly a decade, last breaking the mark in conference on February 28, 2016 against Adelphi University in a 93-84 win in the NE10 Quarterfinal, a game that saw AIC sink 38 free throws. The only other 90-plus performance the team has had in that time was December 6, 2023, a 94-70 win over Post University; Martinez led that game in scoring with 19 and Boyle had 10.

AIC will look to close in on clinching a playoff berth on Wednesday, February 4 at 5:30 p.m. in an NE10 matchup at Franklin Pierce University.