Box Score

Purchase, NY (Feb. 21, 2013) – Knocked off in their quest for a three-peat in last winter's Skyline Conference Championship by Farmingdale State, No. 2 seeded Purchase will get a chance to redeem itself this Saturday in the league title game after eliminating Mount Saint Mary in Thursday night's conference semifinal, 57-48.

FSC upset No. 1 Old Westbury in Thursday's other semifinal, paving the way for a championship rematch for the second straight year. FSC defeated Purchase last year on the island, but this season's finale will come at Purchase, as it is set for this Saturday night, 7p.m., at home. No. 4 FSC and All-American center AJ Matthews will return to Purchase two weeks after the Panthers dominated the reigning champs and their likely NBA-bound center at home.

None of this would have been possible without another terrific second-half performance by the men against No. 3 MSMC tonight in a home semifinal to remember. With the “Panther Faithful” clad in white on “WHITE OUT NIGHT,” the Purchase men struggled in the first half, but kept pace with the hot-shooting Knights after trailing early by double digits. MSMC came out firing on all cylinders, connecting on five of 12 3-pointers, but Purchase still managed to only trail 26-24 at the break, despite some up-and-down play.

However, with the game hanging in the balance, the Panthers responded – as they have many times this season over the final 20 minutes.
Purchase would go onto to outscore MSMC 33-22 in the second half for a comfortable nine-point win. Newly minted All-Skyline selection Andre Nixon (JR/Harlem, NY), who scored a team-high eight points in the first half, went on to finish with a team-high 11 as head coach Jeff Charney got everyone involved on the evening. Nixon would total 11 points and nine rebounds, adding one steal and one assist to his credit.

Forward David Haughton (JR/Greenburgh, NY) would be the unsung hero –as he has many times this season off the bench – scoring 10 points in 23 minutes. He also grabbed seven rebounds, playing a huge role in the paint. Joel Neri (SO/Port Chester, NY), Craig Davis (SR/Queens, NY), and Dan Odiase (JR/Bronx, NY) all added eight points apiece. Justin Person (JR/Greenburgh, NY) chimed in with six points and a game-high seven assists. Davis, also fresh off an All-Skyline selection today, shared the rebounding team high with Nixon, grabbing nine boards in the win.

Lenny Ragalia, who scored 12 points in the first half, connecting from long range, paced the Knights with 115 points in defeat. MSMC's Donte Howell added 12 in the loss.

Charney and the Panthers, winners of two of the last three Skyline crowns, will look to make it three of five Saturday night at Purchase.