When and Where: February 14, 2024 – Springfield, Mass. (Butova Gymnasium)
Score: American International College 70, Southern New Hampshire University 56
Records: SNHU 14-10 (10-8 NE10), AIC 9-15 (7-11 NE10)
Graduate student
Matt Becht (Vienna, Va.) dropped in 19 points, but the Southern New Hampshire University men's basketball team fell to American International College, 70-56, Wednesday night at Butova Gymnasium.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Becht – 19 points (6-15 FG, 5-8 3-FG, 2-2 FT), 4 rebounds
- Graduate student Alex Rivera (Lowell, Mass.) – 12 points (4-13 FG, 3-8 3-FG, 1-2 FT), 6 rebounds, 4 assists
- Junior Derrick Grant Jr. (Plainfield, N.J.) – 9 points (3-4 FG, 3-4 FT), 5 rebounds, 2 assists
KEY MOMENTS
- American International jumped out to an 11-2 lead less than three-and-a-half minutes into the contest. Southern New Hampshire received back-to-back 3-pointers from Rivera to get as close as 18-15 with 9:45 remaining in the opening half, but AIC would respond with a 12-2 surge to grab its largest lead of the half at 30-17 with 4:26 to go. Becht would score five of the final seven points of the frame and pull the Penmen within 31-23 at halftime.
- A Grant bucket to open the second half made it a six-point game, but SNHU would never get closer than that, as a 19-6 burst ballooned the AIC advantage to a game-high 19 at 52-33 with 9:13 to play. Triples from junior Kurtis Henderson (Brockton, Mass.) and Becht made it a 13-point game at 55-42 with 8:07 on the clock, but the Penmen would not get to within less than 12 the rest of the way.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Henderson tallied six points (2-5 FG, 2-4 3-FG), three rebounds and a pair of assists.
- Junior Jordan Brathwaite (Silver Spring, Md.) posted six points (3-12 FG) and five rebounds.
- Sophomore Royce Williams (Manchester, N.H.) notched four points (2-4 FG) and three rebounds.
- American Int'l outshot Southern New Hampshire, 40.4 percent (23-57) to 35.1 percent (20-57), while the Penmen returned the favor from deep, 43.5 percent (10-23) to 33.3 percent (7-21).
- AIC was plus-11 at the stripe and shot it better, 77.3 percent (17-22) to 75 percent (6-8).
- The Penmen scored more points on the fast break, while the Yellow Jackets captured the glass (39-34) and the paint (24-18), scored more points off turnovers (15-12) and second chance points (13-3), received more scoring from their bench (17-4) and featured a better assist-to-turnover ratio (11/11-10/11).
NOTES
- Southern New Hampshire has won four of its last seven, but also lost three of four.
- SNHU, which leads the all-time series, 32-20, had won eight of the last 10 meetings against the Yellow Jackets. The Penmen had also won five of six in Springfield, including two straight.
- The Penmen recorded a 77-64 victory at home in the first regular-season meeting back on Jan. 10.
WHAT'S NEXT
- The Penmen return to action Saturday, Feb. 17 (3:30 p.m.) when they take on Pace University at the Field House in a game that airs live on WGIR 610-AM and Fox Sports New Hampshire 930-AM.
