Panthers Pounce on Eagles in Early Season Skyline Matchup

Old Westbury, N.Y. - The St. Joseph's Golden Eagles (2-4, 1-1 SKY) fell to Old Westbury (5-2, 2-0 SKY), 86-58, in a Skyline Conference game on Wednesday evening.

The game was highly contested early as there were seven lead changes in the first five minutes of play. The Eagles jumped out to a 15-10 lead, which proved to be their largest of the game. The Panthers came firing back on a 5-0 run to tie the game at 15 but the Golden Eagles kept them distancing themselves as they led by three with just five minutes remaining in the first half. The Panthers leapt right back into the game, closing out the half on a 14-4 run. The Eagles did not hit a field goal during that final stretch.

The shooting struggles for St. Joseph's carried over into the second half and Old Westbury scored six unanswered points to start the period. The Eagles kept fighting, cutting the lead down to eight with thirteen minutes remaining but that's where the game took a turn for the worse for the Golden Eagles. The Panthers hit three straight three-pointers and the Eagles went cold from the field once again as St. Joseph's didn't hit a field goal in the next six minutes of play. Old Westbury effectively outscored the Eagles 35-15 to close out the game.

Reigning Skyline Player of the Week Darryl Charles (Middletown, N.Y./Poughkeepsie) was SJC's top scorer with 15 points, while Andy Laurent (Amityville, N.Y./Amityville) totaled 14. Leading the way for Old Westbury was Tyrik Tucker with 30 points and a game-high 19 rebounds.

The Eagles will travel this weekend to Connecticut College for the Camel/Cadet Classic.  They will take on the Coast Guard Academy on Friday at 8 p.m. and then either Connecticut or Maine-Presque Isle in the championship or consolation game on Saturday.