NEW HAVEN, Connecticut - The American International College men's basketball team erased a double-digit deficit, but a late rally by Southern Connecticut State University was the difference in a 61-57 setback for AIC in Northeast 10 Conference play on Saturday, February 14.

AIC is now 5-20 overall and 4-11 in the NE10.

The game was back-and-forth early, with four ties or lead changes including the opening score by Coleman Hopson and a three by Aguibou Balde that put AIC ahead, but the Owls grabbed the advantage just past the five minute mark and held it for the balance of the first half, building the gap to 23-13 just before the midpoint of the frame and forcing an AIC timeout.

Down the stretch of the half, both teams were slow to score, and as such AIC was never able to close the deficit below eight. The Owls scored the last basket of the period and took a 35-25 lead into the locker room.

Tony Felder began to get hot out of the break, scoring a two and a three as the first two baskets of the frame to halve AIC's hole on the scoreboard. The Owls hit a three, but Felder retorted in kind. The score stabilized from there; an Abdullah Mahamed dunk just after the midpoint of the half saw AIC within a 44-39 margin.

Threes by Blair Thomas and Felder negated shots by the Owls as the Yellow Jackets shrank the host advantage further, and another triple by Felder made it a one-possession game. Balde then scored, putting back a shot with 2:04 to go to tie the score at 54-54.

Unfortunately, the Owls rallied in the final 124 seconds, scoring seven points to hold off AIC and win 61-57. 

Felder led AIC with 24, and his first field goal of the second half gave him 1,000 points for his career. Balde narrowly missed a double-double, with nine points and a game-best 13 rebounds as AIC outrebounded the Owls 43-27.

The Yellow Jackets next head to Saint Michael's College on Wednesday, February 18 at 7:30 p.m. for an NE10 battle.