Syracuse, N.Y. - Sophomore guard Isiah Wallace scored a game-high 20 points to lead four players in double-figures as American International knocked off the 20th-ranked Le Moyne College men's basketball team, 72-68, in Northeast-10 Conference action on Tuesday night at Ted Grant Court.
The Yellow Jackets opened the game by scoring 12 of the first 14 points, including the first five of the contest. Aikeem Vanderhorst accounted for a pair of lay-ups in the stretch. The Dolphins bounced back with a 12-2 run of their own to tie the score at 14 apiece on a lay-up by junior guard Can Ozkaner (Ankara, Turkey/Tilton School (N.H.)) with just over 10 minutes remaining in the half.
With the Dolphins leading 18-17, Wallace hit consecutive three-pointers to ignite a 13-6 streak to regain a six-point advantage. Le Moyne scored six of the half's final seven points to go into halftime trailing 31-30. Junior forward Kevin Roth (Lake View, N.Y./St. Francis HS) converted back-to-back baskets and sophomore guard Chris Johnson (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) scored off a lay-up to close out the scoring in the stanza.
Le Moyne, which moved into the NABC Division II Coaches Poll earlier in the day for the first time since 1988, tied the contest on four occasions over the opening five minutes of the second half before Johnson scored five straight points to give the Dolphins the lead with 11:38 remaining in the game. Senior forward Laurence Ekperigin (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) and freshman forward Michael Goodman (Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) converted traditional three-point plays around an Anthony Thomas lay-up to give the Dolphins a game-high six-point lead with just under 10 and one-half minutes remaining.
The Yellow Jackets responded by hitting five consecutive three-point attempts to turn a five-point deficit into a seven-point advantage with 4:11 left on the clock. Wallace hit the first of the long-range jumpers, while Allen Aragbaye knocked down three and Byron Richards added one from the right side. A pair of Thomas foul shots on AIC's next possession pushed the lead to a half-best nine points with 3:21 to go.
Le Moyne cut its deficit to four points three times in the final 1:51 of the game and pulled to within three points on a Roth lay-up with 15 remaining, but Richards sealed the win for AIC by hitting 1-of-2 foul shots with 14 seconds left.
Johnson was the leading scorer for the Dolphins for the third time in four games this season with 15 points off the bench. Roth finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds for his first double-double of the year, while Ekperigin registered his third straight double-double with 10 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Wallace buried 5-of-7 three pointers en route to his 20 points, while also pulling down 12 rebounds. Thomas and Aragbaye each finished with 15 points, while Vanderhorst added 14 points.
Le Moyne (3-1, NE-10 1-1), which had its 11 game regular-season win streak snapped, returns to the court at New Haven on Sunday, Nov. 29 at 4:00 p.m.
-agate-
American International 72, #20 Le Moyne 68
American International (3-2, NE-10 3-0) 31 41 - 72
#20 Le Moyne (3-1, NE-10 1-1) 30 38 - 68
