SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - On a night where both teams set season highs in made three-point field goals, the American International College men's basketball team came up short, 92-85, against Bentley University in Northeast 10 Conference play on Wednesday, February 11.

AIC is now 5-19 overall and 4-10 in the NE10.

Abdullah Mahamed started the game with an emphatic slam, and on the ensuing possessions both teams hit from range, a harbinger of things to come. The scoring pace was frenetic throughout the first half; Coleman Hopson and Chase Nelson hit early threes for AIC, and later back-to-back triples by Tony Felder pushed AIC's lead to eight. Hopson then notched a layup after a steal to put the hosts up 10 just prior to the under-12 media timeout.

The scoring continued in a heavy way across the middle of the period; a run of threes by the Falcons tied the game at 34-34 with 6:44 to go, but Mahamed answered with another slam, and AIC quickly reestablished a nine-point advantage. Bentley fired back again, tying the game at 45 apiece heading into the last minute, and an Aguibou Balde dunk after Felder poached the ball away was the difference, as AIC took a 50-48 edge into the locker room.

The back-and-forth continued early in the second; the lead changed hands repeatedly in the first five minutes, and Mahamed's third jam of the night tied the game at 60 each. However, Bentley followed with an eight-point run, and created a double-digit advantage shortly after. Now it was AIC's turn to push back, and after a Hopson hit from range, the home squad was back within two with 3:48 to play, trailing 82-80.

That was as close as AIC could get, however; the Falcons held the Yellow Jackets off and took the win.

AIC shot 33-of-59 as a team, including 15-of-34 from deep; Hopson nailed nine and six of those, respectively, for a team-best 24 points. Felder notched his first career double-double, shooting 5-of-7 including a perfect 4-of-4 from the line and dishing a career-best 11 assists. Balde flirted with a triple-double, scoring eight points with ten rebounds and six helpers. 

AIC next faces Southern Connecticut State University on Saturday, February 14 at 3:30 p.m. in New Haven, Connecticut; AIC trails the Owls by one game for the final NE10 Tournament berth, but with a win would jump into that spot as they would hold the tiebreaker.