Thomas Jefferson University

 
PHILADELPHIA, PA – The Thomas Jefferson University men's basketball team (0-1) would have the lead at 57-54 with under five minutes to play, but they would be outscored 15-6 as the Rams would fall in their season opener to American International College (2-0) in the first game of the East Region Challenge on Saturday.
 
WHAT HAPPENED
Jefferson got out to an early lead as they would be up 13-9 within the first five minutes of the game with five points each from Erik Timko and Hakim Byrd as they both hit a three pointer and a jumper to start off the matchup. American International would respond as they earned their own run, a 6-1 push that was capped off with a Jalen Jordan three pointer to give the Yellow Jackets the lead with 9:11 in the first half, which would be the second of five lead changes in that period.
 
After a quick change of points and possession by both teams with the game even at 18-18, Ahmed Barba-Bey would make his jumper, followed by Byrd and Timko making their three pointers to push the Rams ahead 26-18 with 4:57 left in the half. American International would then respond as they scored the last 10 points in the period, with Justice Ellison making his jumper with nine seconds to go, to head into the half with the Yellow Jackets leading 28-26.
 
After American International made another jumper to start the game off, Timko and Byrd would once more go back-to-back with scoring, as Timko made a three-pointer followed by a Byrd fast break bucket to put the Rams up 31-30 with just 2:30 into the second half. Both teams would trade points again, but Jack Hall's three and a Ellison layup put the Yellow Jackets ahead 37-33 at the 13:55 mark.
 
Bara-Bey would respond with a three, but American International scored five more points to push themselves ahead 42:36 with 12:04 left in the game. Troy McGregor would hit a three to get Jefferson within three and Timko matched that with his own three pointer, tying the game at 42-42 at the 11:09 mark. Each team would trade points again, but the Yellow Jackets would once more go ahead 49-45. Timko had another three to cut the deficit to one, which Omarion Jett-Dobbs score to have it 51-48.
 
Barba-Bey would tie the game as he would make three free throws, and give Jefferson the lead on a fast break shot to make it 53-51 with 6:57 left. Jefferson would once more jump out and make their lead 57-54. But American International would score 10 points in a row, pushing themselves up 64-57 with under a minute to play. The Rams would score two three pointers in that timespan, but unable to comeback as the Yellow Jackets would win 69-63 and giving the Rams a loss to open the season.
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
Erik Timko: 22 points on 8-of-17 shooting (6-12 3PT), 7 rebounds, 4 assists
Ahmed Barba-Bey: 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting (2-5 3PT), 4 rebounds, 4 assists
Hakim Byrd: 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting (2-6 3PT), 5 assists, 3 steals
 
JEFFERSON AS A TEAM
FG: 23-of-62 (37.1%)
3PT: 11-of-30 (36.7%)
FT: 6-of-14 (42.9%)
 
UP NEXT
Jefferson will continue the East Region Challenge tomorrow on Sunday, November 12 when they take on Franklin Pierce University at 12 p.m.