Box Score

Purchase, NY (Dec. 8, 2012) – Trailing by double figures early, Purchase men's basketball put together a second half to remember Saturday at home, rallying for a 77-74 victory against Skyline Conference foe The Sage Colleges.

Over the final 20 minutes, the Panthers erased a 17-point lead by the Gators, who came out aggressively in the first stanza. Head coach Jeff Charney's halftime speech appeared to inspire Purchase down the stretch as the Panthers came out with the same fire that Sage showed in the first half.

The Panthers shot just 10 of 22 (45.5-percent) in the first half and trailed the Gators 43-26 at the break.  They went on to shoot 12 of 33 in the second half, including 13 of 18 from the free-throw line to close the gap. 

Center Craig Davis (SR/Queens, NY) led the Panthers with 18 points, while center Joel Neri (SO/Port Chester, NY) contributed 15 in the paint. Guards Justin Person (JR/Greenburgh, NY) and Amar Reynolds (SR/Bronx, NY) also sparked the Panthers.

Person, a captain, led the charge early in the period. He finished with 13 points. Reynolds, a sharp-shooter, hit several key shoots, including two 3-pointers that lifted the offense.

Like Reynolds, Michael Braithwaite (JR/Queens, NY) netted eight points, including an old fashion three-point play inside of 10 minutes that closed the margin to single digits for the hosts.

The Panthers made a quick comeback and within 10 minutes of the second half, the game was tied at 63. 

The Panther faithful cheered as the final minutes resulted in a see-saw battle. With less than a minute on the clock and the scored tied 74-74, two fouls sent Purchase to the free-throw line. 

Clutch free throws followed. Davis shot 1 of 2, while teammate David Haughton (FR/Greenburgh, NY) sunk both from the charity stripe, giving Purchase the lead and eventually the win.

The Panthers improve to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in league play.  They return to action on Saturday, Dec. 15, when they host the Bearcats of Baruch College for a 1 p.m. tip-off.