By Dillon Flanigan
Sports Editor
Forward Antonio Chandler, a senior, dunks in the second half.
The Men’s Basketball team extended their winning streak to three games as they defeated American International College Yellow Jackets, AIC, 88-74 on Feb. 11.
“We just had no energy. We’re flat, no energy. We didn’t compete. We’re just going through the motions and sometimes to do that, you’re gonna end up hurting yourself and you’re gonna give one away that you should have,” Head Coach Scott Burrell said.
Two minutes into the game, down 4-0, Burrell could not stand still any longer, calling a timeout. It was not a blowout, and it was early, but in February, nipping unmotivated team play is essential as each game counts.
“In the first half, we were better after the start of the game, but didn’t get stops on defense. As the game went on, the guys got their juices flowing a little bit more,” Burrell said. “They got more competitive, and they battled a lot more in the second half, they came out strong, and we got stops right away, three steals right away and that kept our momentum going.”
As the starting-five was flat in the open, Burrell’s first choice off the bench to provide a spark was guard Sean James, a senior, who earlier in the season indicated that James needed to be more consistent from the three-point line. As James entered, he made an immediate impression from beyond the arch and hit three of four three-pointers ending his night with 11 points in total, tied for second most in the game with guard Christian McClease, a freshman.
“He made his first one and that gave a lot of confidence. He’s been struggling the last few games, but you know this might be the game that he bounces back from and where he recovers it and finds a stroke,” Burrell said. “He shot it well. Three for four, that’s what we need him to do. We need him to make those open shots.”
Holding a 43-37 lead out of the half, defensively, forward Cherif Diarra, a junior, had a very strong mark in the game. With three straight steals, Diarra created scoring opportunities on the offensive side contributing to a 10-point scoring run.
At times, stopping the Yellow Jackets offense was not easy. Jack Hall, who finished with 20 points, went 6-10 from the three-point line and was backed by Justice Ellison with 18.
“We know they have really, two really good scores. We know Jack, it’s hard to stop a shooter when he gets it going. He made his first couple, and he found a good rhythm, and we just had to stay in them. We couldn’t leave him, couldn’t give him any space,” Burrell said. “I think the guys did a great job denying him late in the second half, which slowed him down a little bit.”
“Obviously Ellison’s a great scorer. We had to stay on him and have a whole bunch of guys run at him and try to not let him get it going early,” Burrell said.
Though Hall and Ellison could score, they did not even come close to the level of dominance that forward Antonio Chandler, a senior, displayed. With multiple powerful dunks in the second half alone, Chandler climbed to third place in the NE10 for the most points scored in a game this season behind Donte Pope from Franklin Pierce University and teammate guard Albert Vargas, a junior.
“It means the world. The most important thing is to win the game. My teammates just found me, and I converted,” Chandler said.
Chandler grabbed 10 boards and went 15 for 18 in field goals, the latter has him tied for first place in the NE10 with Pope for most field goals completed in a game this season.
