Men's Basketball

November 16, 2007

WATERBURY, Conn.-The Post University men's basketball team will have to rebound quickly from its season-opening loss to Merrimack College when it travels to the University of Bridgeport on Saturday, Nov. 17 for the Purple Knight Classic. Post will face American International on Saturday, with tip-off slated for 4 p.m. in the Harvey Hubble Gymnasium. Bridgeport will take on Bryant in the first game of the afternoon at 2 p.m.

On Sunday, the Eagles (0-1) will face Bryant at 2 p.m., while Bridgeport tangles with AIC at 4 p.m.

Junior forward AJ Reitter (Baltimore, Md./Franklin) had a career-night against Merrimack, as he poured in 29 points on 11-of-22 shooting from the field. He also knocked down four three-pointers and sank each of his three charity stripe tosses.

His previous career-best came on January 17, 2007, with a 27-point outing against Bloomfield College at the Drubner Center. In that game Reitter sank nine field goals, with four coming from distance, in a 96-95 win for the Eagles.

Reitter led four Eagles in double-digits, as senior swingman Arthur Robertson (Far Rockaway, N.Y./Beach Channel) had 13 points, connecting on six charity stripe tosses. He needs 31 points for 1,000 in his career.

Junior center Jesse Iyalekhue (Bronx, N.Y./Columbus) and senior forward Peter Lawal (Uniondale, N.Y./Uniondale) each had 10 points for the Eagles. Iyalekhue also had nine rebounds, and has recorded double digits in five of the last six games dating back to last season.

AIC begins the season on Saturday, after falling 103-66 in the exhibition season to the University of Massachusetts on November 1. Byron Richards has 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting for the Yellowjackets, and Lucius Millinder had 11 points on 4-of-9 from the floor.

AIC was 16-13 overall last season, and 13-9 in the NE-10. The Yellowjackets were tabbed seventh in the NE-10 Preseason Coaches Poll.

The game will also feature a pair of former high school teammates squaring off against each other, as junior James Lee (Montreal, Quebec, Canada/Vanier Prep) will face Colson Senat who transferred to AIC after playing two years for Robert Morris.

Bryant will also be making its season-debut this weekend, as they had a pair of games in the exhibition season, falling to UConn 100-65, and dropping an 83-53 decision to Brigham Young University. Chris Birrell had 12 points and five assists against BYU.

Against the Huskies, Jon Ezeokoli netted 15 points and controlled seven rebounds, while Ryan McLean chipped in with 10 points and five boards.

Last year, the Bulldogs were 21-11 and reached the NCAA Division II Sweet 16 for the third time in the last four years. Bryant returns two starters and eight letter winners off that team, and was picked to finish fourth in the NE-10 Preseason Coaches Poll.

This will be the first of two meetings this season between the Eagles and the Bulldogs, as the two teams will meet again in the first game of the Bryant Holiday Classic on Friday, Dec. 28 at 5 p.m.

Following this weekend's tournament, the Eagles will close out a stretch of four games in six days, as they open up the home portion of their schedule against C.W. Post on Tuesday, Nov. 20 at the Drubner Center. Post has the second-longest home court winning streak in the Northeast Region, at 13 games, after running the table at home last season.