Panthers Erase Deficit, Top Men’s Basketball 73-70
| 2nd - 00:04 | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Purchase St. (4-7 (2-4)) | 33 | 40 | 73 |
|
St. Joseph's (L.I.) (3-6 (2-2)) | 40 | 30 | 70 |
Written by Andrew Capitelli (SJC-LI Sports Information)
Patchogue, NY| Despite a 23-point performance on 7-9 shooting by junior Fernando Vazquez, the St. Joseph's College (L.I.) men's basketball team dropped a 73-70 decision to Skyline Conference rival SUNY Purchase College inside the Danzi Center on Saturday afternoon. With the loss, the Golden Eagles fall to 3-6 (2-2 Skyline) on the year, while the Panthers improve to 4-7 (2-4 Skyline).
After surrendering 10 of the game's first 15 points, SJC went on a 7-0 run to pull ahead of Purchase 12-10 at the 13:06 mark after junior Dan Nappi drained consecutive free throws. From there out the Golden Eagles would hold leads of 26-21 and 35-29 before Vazquez's buzzer-beater three-pointer ensured his side went into the break up 40-33.
Carrying their momentum into the second frame, the Golden Eagles went up 14 points (53-39) at 15:44 when Vazquez—who went 5-7 from behind the arc on the afternoon—sank another three-ball.
At 12:38 SJC held its biggest lead (18 points) of the match by the score of 61-43, but a staggering 30-9 run by the Panthers over the final 10:54 of the game powered the guests to a 73-70 come-from-behind victory. It was Joel Neri—who went for 21 points and 15 rebounds in the game—that converted a layup with 1:12 to play that clinched the win for Purchase.
Vazquez's 23 points were a game-high, and the guard also contributed two assists and two steals. Senior Dominique Spann posted 14 points and six rebounds, and the Skyline Conference's leading sorcerer, junior Andy Laurent, added 13 points and four assists.
In a game that saw the Golden Eagles outrebounded 58-20, the hosts outscored their opponent 12-6 off turnovers. Purchase would also hold edges in second-chance points (25-3) and bench points (24-5).
The Golden Eagles return to action on Saturday, January 2 when they host SUNY Maritime inside the Danzi Center at 1:00 PM. Live stats will be available here.
