Springfield, Mass. - Coming off a four-game win streak, the Adelphi University men's basketball team fell short at American International College Tuesday evening, dropping an 82-78 decision in the last game of the regular season.
The Panthers (19-9, 13-7 NE10) entered the contest in a three-way tie for first in the Southwest Division with New Haven and Le Moyne, and the loss drops them to #3 ahead of the conference tournament. The Panthers earn the #3 seed after New Haven earns the tiebreaker to stand at #2.
Nick Cambio, who scored 13 first half points, finished with a double-double courtesy of 20 points and 11 rebounds as
Jack Laffey was also responsible for 20. Leading the way was five-time Northeast-10 Rookie of the Week
Ronnie Silva who dropped 21 in the loss. AIC (11-17, 7-13 NE10) was led by Andrew Anderson, who set new season-bests in points and field goals made with 22 and 10, respectively.
Dwaine Williams stretched the visitor lead to their largest of the contest with a three-pointer that put them up six with 12:38 to play in the opening half. A 9-2 run in favor of the Yellow Jackets allowed them to turn the game in their favor to which they never looked back. Over the remaining seven minutes the home team extended their advantage to at-most eight and still maintained a seven-point lead at the break.
The first and second three-pointers from Silva - of five in the second half alone - gave Adelphi a brief lead both times, but tht quickly slipped away after the 10-minute mark. With under 60 seconds to play in regular time, the rookie notched back-to-back daggers from beyond the arc in the same spot to cut the Panther deficit to one. Having to foul to regain possession, AIC was able to push out to a large enough lead to hold off the Brown and Gold.
While their counterpart in the women's team hosts a quarterfinal meeting against no. 3 NE Saint Anselm at 3:00 p.m. in the Center for Recreation and Sports, the men will trip to #2 NE Merrimack for a 3:00 p.m. contest.
About Adelphi Athletics
A regionally and nationally competitive NCAA Division II institution located in Garden City, N.Y., Adelphi University has been a proud member of the Northeast-10 Conference since 2009.
Winners of 16 NCAA Division II National Championships and four NE10 Presidents' Cups, Panther athletes have excelled at the conference, regional and national level, both on the field of play and in the classroom. In turn, the Adelphi athletic department is committed to fostering an environment of diversity, inclusion, equity and success where its student-athletes can thrive both on campus and off.
Stay connected with Adelphi Athletics by following the Panthers at
aupanthers.com or via social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and wear your Panther pride by shopping official Adelphi Panthers gear at
our licensed team store.
