MEN'S HOOP PICKS UP FIRST LEAGUE WIN OVER MERRIMACK 69-61
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (December 2, 2006) -
Magen McNeil (Philadelphia, Pa.) finished with 23
points and 10 rebounds to lead American International College to a
69-61 Northeast-10 men's basketball victory over Merrimack College
Saturday afternoon at Butova Gymnasium. The win snaps a
four-game slide for the Yellow Jackets as they improve to 2-4 and
1-3 in the NE-10. The Warriors fall to 2-4 and 1-2 in the
league.
McNeil was one of three players in double figures for the Yellow Jackets. Aikeem Vanderhorst (Bay Shore, N.Y.) tallied 12 of his 14 points in the first half and finished with a double-double, grabbing 14 rebounds. Lucius Millinder (Belleville, N.J.) added 10 points. Kenny Jones led Merrimack with 25 points.
AIC led 34-23 at halftime and extended that lead to 40-27 with 16:15 left on a tip-in by Jenar Harrison (Queens, N.Y.). Merrimack would then proceed to reel off the game's next 14 points and took a 41-40 lead at the 12:09 mark on a layup by Jones. The Yellow Jackets would reclaim a 42-41 lead on a pair of free throws by McNeil, but a Jones three with 11:30 left made it 44-42.
The hosts would score six straight points to take the lead for good, with a basket by Millinder at the 9:53 mark making it 46-44 and a layup by Brandon Carter (Wilmington, Del.) with 9:18 left increasing the lead to four. Merrimack would whittle the lead to 58-55 with 2:42 left on a David Kennedy trifecta, but Jeff Dosado (Montreal, Quebec) would respond with a three of his own 39 seconds later to push the lead to 61-55. AIC would close out the game on a 11-6 run and went 6-8 at the free throw line over the final 42 seconds to secure the win.
AIC jumped out to a 12-4 lead just under six minutes into the game and made it 20-7 9:28 before halftime on a layup by McNeil. The Yellow Jackets would maintain a double-digit advantage for much of the rest of the half before a Darren Duncan jumper for the Warriors made it 31-23 with 1:15 to go. A buzzer-beating three by Mike Troll (New York, N.Y.) would give the Yellow Jackets a 34-23 lead heading into the locker room.
American International owned a commanding 49-29 rebounding advantage, including 21 offensive rebounds. The Yellow Jackets shot 45.3% for the contest while limiting Merrimack to 25% shooting (6-24) in the first half and 37% for the game.
AIC returns to action Tuesday when it hosts
Saint Michael's in a 7:30 contest at Butova Gymnasium.