MEN’S BASKETBALL UPSETS 2005 DIVISION II RUNNERUP BRYANT 67-65
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (November 22, 2005)
– Jenar Harrison’s (Queens, N.Y.)
layup with 1:36 remaining proved to be the game-winning basket as
American International College upset 2005 Division II runnerup
Bryant University 67-65 in Northeast-10 men’s basketball
Tuesday evening at Butova Gymnasium. It marked the NE-10
opener for both schools as AIC moved to 2-1 overall, while the
Bulldogs suffered their first loss of the year and fall to 3-1.
The Yellow Jackets who never led in the second half until Harrison’s basket but tied the game four times, trailed 63-54 with 6:36 to play following back-to-back three-pointers by John Williams (Springfield, Mass.). The Yellow Jackets would score the next six points and a basket by Dexter Gregory (Paterson, N.J.) with 4:54 on the clock made it 63-60, but Nathaniel Sudlow (Brooklyn, N.Y.) scored 20 seconds later to push the lead back to five.
That would be the final Bulldog points of the evening, as they missed their final three shots of the game and turned the ball over five times. Magen McNeil (Philadelphia, Pa.) tied the game at 65 on an inbounds play with 2:19 to go, but Jon Ezeokoli (South Orange, N.J.) turned it over on Bryant’s next possession. Harrison would lay it in at the 1:36 mark on an assists from Alonzo Brown (New York, N.Y.). On the next Bulldog possession Williams would drive the lane but his floater was blocked by Harrison and Brown came up with the ball.
At the other end John Huggins (Philadelphia, Pa.) would miss a three but Ezeokoli fell out of bounds as he grabbed the rebound. Gregory would turn the ball over for AIC giving Bryant the final possession of the game with 26 seconds on the clock. The Bulldogs were unable to get a final shot attempt away as Nick Pontes (New Bedford, Mass.) turned it over with Huggins recording the steal as the final horn sounded.
AIC scored the first four points of the second half to tie the game at 32, but the Bulldogs ran off seven unanswered points to take a 39-32 lead at 16:01 on a Williams three. AIC responded with a 7-0 run of their own and McNeil’s layup at 14:39 made it 39-all. The two teams would trade baskets for the last several minutes before Williams’ back-to-back trifectas capped an 8-0 run for the guests.
The Yellow Jackets led twice early but trailed 23-14 with just under seven minutes left in the first half following a pair of free throws by Sudlow. AIC would go on a 12-3 run over the next 5:43 and a McNeil basket just outside of a minute left in the first half tied the game at 26. Williams hit two threes in the final 48 seconds, his last with just under six seconds left in the half from NBA-range, to make it 32-28 at halftime.
Harrison finished 8-10 from the floor and totaled 17 points, six rebounds, five blocked shots, four assists and two steals. Huggins led AIC in scoring with 21 points, while McNeil added 13 points and seven boards. Williams led all scorers with 27 points, going 5-9 from three-point land and 11-21 overall. Ezeokoli was the other Bulldog in double figures with 12 points and eight rebounds. AIC outrebounded Bryant 36-26.
AIC returns to action Sunday when it travels to
Southern Connecticut for a 3:30 contest.