Purple Knights News

January 27, 2007

Basketball Falls To AIC In NE-10 Doubleheader


COLCHESTER, Vt. ? Saint Michael's College was swept by American International College in a Northeast-10 Conference basketball doubleheader on Saturday at the Ross Sports Center. In the opener, the Purple Knight women suffered a 68-57 loss to the Yellow Jackets, and in the nightcap, the Saint Michael's men were edged in the final seconds by AIC, 76-75.

In the women's contest, AIC (16-4, 11-4 NE-10) ranked 17th in this week's USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II Top-25 Coaches Poll, ended the game on a 17-3 run to earn the victory. Despite the loss, senior Dani Rayner (Westminster, Vt./Bellows Falls Union) became the 15th player in Purple Knights' women's basketball history to score 1,000 career points, hitting the plateau with a 3-pointer with 12 minutes left in the second half.

For the Yellow Jackets, junior Alexis Castro (Chula Vista, Calif.), a former University of Vermont standout, scored 18 of her game-high 24 points in the second half, while adding six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Sophomore Stacy Boisvert (Agawam, Mass.) added 21 points and 14 rebounds as AIC shot 52 percent (14-of-27) after halftime and outrebounded the Purple Knights, 47-38.

For Saint Michael's (10-9, 7-8 NE-10), Rayner and junior Allison Dunn (Whippany, N.J./Morris Catholic) had 13 points apiece. Three other Purple Knights ? senior Jevy Rayner (Westminster, Vt./Bellows Falls Union), sophomore Anna Florent (Fort Wayne, Ind./Snider) and freshman Meg O'Shea (West Sand Lake, N.Y./Averill Park) ? added nine point each. Saint Michael's shot just 33 percent (21-of-64) from the field, including 8-of-32 in the second half, as the Purple Knights' season-best three-game winning streak came to an end.

The contest was close for much of the contest, as the score was tied at 32-all at halftime. A pair of Jevy Rayner free throws with 8:53 remaining gave the Purple Knights a 51-48 lead, but AIC went on an 8-0 run ? the final four points scored by Castro ? to take the lead for good at 56-51. An O'Shea 3-pointer with 4:41 left pulled the Purple Knights within two, but Saint Michael's could pull no closer, as consecutive turnovers hurt Saint Michael's chances of a comeback.

In the men's game, AIC (11-9, 9-6 NE-10) rallied from a 63-55 deficit in the final 10 minutes to edge the Purple Knights. Senior Magen McNeil (Philadelphia, Pa.) led a balanced scoring attack with 19 points, 13 rebounds and four steals. Sophomore Vernon Dupree (Wilmington, Del.) also tallied 19 points, while classmate Lucius Millinder (Belleville, N.J.) added 18 points. AIC shot 51 percent (18-of-35) in the second half to post the come-from-behind win.

For Saint Michael's (13-7, 10-5 NE-10), junior Brian Monahan (Kinderhook, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) had a game-high 26 points and 19 rebounds, hitting 10-of-18 shots from the field. Classmate James Sorrentine (Pawtucket, R.I./Saint Raphael Academy) netted 19 points, hitting 5-of-8 3-pointers, and senior Chris Cayole (Burlington, Vt./Rice Memorial) chipped in with 11 points and seven rebounds. Senior Brendan Mullins (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) added nine points and 10 assists in the setback, just Saint Michael's second loss in its last eight games.

Saint Michael's led at halftime, 38-32, and stretched its lead to eight midway through the second half. AIC then went on a 10-0 run, capped by a Dupree 3-pointer, to take a 65-63 lead with 6:51 remaining. A Sorrentine 3-pointer 30 seconds later briefly restored the Purple Knights' lead, but Millinder gave AIC the lead for good on a jumper with 5:17 to go. AIC stretched its lead to 76-70 with one minute left, but a Cayole lay-up, an AIC turnover, and a Monahan 3-point play pulled the Purple Knights to within 76-75 with 46 seconds left. After Dupree missed a 3-pointer with 15 seconds left with the shot clock winding down, Mullins grabbed the rebound for Saint Michael's. The Purple Knights did not use their final time out, and an off-balance 18-footer by Mullins with six seconds to go hit the side of the rim. Neither team could corral the rebound until the final horn sounded.

Saint Michael's plays its next two games on the road (on Wednesday at Le Moyne College, women at 5:30 p.m. and men at 7:30 p.m., and at the College of Saint Rose on Feb. 3, women at 1:30 p.m. and men at 3:30 p.m.) before returning home to host longtime-rival Bentley College on Feb. 6 (women at 5:30 p.m., men at 7:30 p.m.). AIC next hosts Assumption College on Wednesday (women at 5:30 p.m., men at 7:30 p.m.).

###PURPLEKNIGHTS###