WORCESTER, Massachusetts – The American International College men's basketball team battled hard in a 69-65 defeat at Assumption University in Northeast 10 Conference play on Saturday, February 7.
AIC is now 5-18 overall and 4-9 in the NE10.
AIC opened the scoring on a steal by Tony Felder, who sent Aguibou Balde in on a breakaway for a layup. The Greyhounds answered, but Abdullah Mahamed scored to put AIC up 4-2.
The teams kept trading buckets, with an and-one for the hosts and then a layup for Chase Nelson before Mahamed spun past the Assumption defense in the paint to give AIC a three-point lead.
Assumption answered again, but Nelson splashed a long two from the left on AIC's turn with the ball, and the Yellow Jackets forced an out-of-bounds to get to the first media timeout up 10-7.
The Greyhounds came out of the break on a 7-0 run to build a 14-10 lead before a Balde putback made it a one-possession game again. Assumption scored the next four, and lead 18-12 at the under-eight.
A three extended the Assumption lead further, and Assumption had a double-digit advantage before Felder scored AIC's next bucket. Balde then scored a fast-break layup to bring AIC back within nine.
The Greyhounds hit another deep shot, which Will Davis answered with a jumper in the paint on a pass from Balde. Assumption continued to make from deep, although so did Nelson to make the score 31-21. Amadou Diallo then entered the scoresheet, hitting a layup.
Free throws pushed Assumption ahead by double digits once again, and though Nelson scored late, AIC trailed 36-26 at the break.
Felder started AIC's second-half scoring with a pair of free throws and a right-side three from Nelson, and Mahamed notched an and-one that drew AIC within four.
Mahamed then scored again, slamming home two points, though the Greyhounds made shots on their next two possessions to restore the gap to six, and led 42-36 at the first media timeout of the half.
Assumption continued to hold AIC off, and built its lead back to double digits, adding to the 10-point run with a driving layup on the right before Coleman Hopson broke the string with a fast-break layup. At the under-12, Assumption's lead was 52-40.
Through the middle of the frame, the hosts maintained their double-digit advantage, until a pair of Felder free throws and a three by Nelson split the lead in half and forced a Greyhounds timeout with 6:16 to play.
Assumption scored out of the stoppage, hitting a three of their own, but Hopson responded from the top of the key on a stepback triple. Felder then went up-and-under for a layup, making it a one-possession game.
Assumption scored the next bucket, a breakaway layup off of a steal, but Felder hit a driving layup to keep AIC within three late. The Greyhounds then hit a pair of free throws, and AIC was unable to come back as Assumption iced the game with more free throws to win 69-65.
Felder led AIC with 17, while Balde scored 14 and Nelson had 13. Balde and Mahamed tied for AIC's lead with seven boards, while Hopson had four steals.
AIC will return to the Henry Butova Gymnasium on Wednesday, February 11 at 7:30 p.m. to face Bentley University in an NE10 matchup.
