Box Score

Purchase, NY (Feb. 21, 2013) – We'll see you Saturday night!

A double-figure lead dwindled to a couple of points on more than one occasion in the second half, but second-seeded Purchase would respond to every test No. 3 SUNY College at Old Westbury had to offer in the final 20 minutes, upending the visitors 57-52 in the semifinals to punch its ticket to the Skyline Conference Championship game in two days. No. 1 MSMC would lose in the other semifinal, paving the way for the title game at home on Saturday, as the Panthers will welcome Farmingdale State at 4 p.m.   

As for tonight's semifinal at Purchase, Old Westbury came within two at the 5:32 mark and then within a pair again in the closing seconds, but a heads up play by captain Jess Lindsay (JR/Rochester, NY), where she tapped the ball off her defender to return possession back to Purchase in the waning seconds, when it looked like Old Westbury would keep possession on the out of bounds play, setup some late free throws and a celebration at center court.

With the largest crowd in recent memory, a raucous bunch on “WHITE OUT NIGHT” that included the Panther baseball team, who decided to paint their bare chests in the spirit of the evening, the women's basketball team came up with timely plays over the final five minutes to seal the victory against Old Westbury and Skyline Coach of the Year Michael Krasnoff.

First-year head coach Kellianne Dunlay took great pleasure in turning around the program's underdog status, as the Panthers have gone from last in the preseason polls to second-seeded in the tournament to the favored team in this coming Saturday's championship game against the fourth-seeded Rams.

Dunlay and Purchase have been counted out all season, but the women keep finding a way to win. Perhaps no player exhibits that “win or die trying” mentality more than sparkplug guard Lineker St.Hilaire (SO/Wyandanch, NY), who pushed the Panthers into the finale on sheer drive Thursday night. One of the league's leading rebounders – from the guard position – has a season-high of 219 rebounds, 92 steals and a conference-best six rookie of the week awards.     

St.Hilaire proved who the best player on the floor was tonight. She finished with a team-high 14 points and grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds for a double-double, falling short by one in each category for the game high. The pesky, defensive guard also swiped a game-high four steals in 40 minutes, playing the entire game for Purchase. St.Hilaire and Alexis Billups (SR/Chester, NY) were key contributors in the backcourt. Point guard Billups also played the entire game, totaling six points, a game-high five assists (shared by OW's DeAndra Scott), three steals, one block and two rebounds.

Rookie center Elizabeth Osowiecki (FR/Franklin Square, NY) was solid, netting 12 points and pulling down six rebounds. Talia Beaulieu (SR/Waldorf, MD) contributed 11 points and seven boards.

As mentioned, the charity stripe proved key in the semifinal, with Osowiecki and Billups doing their part from the free-throw line. The tandem sank four free throws in the close minutes to sink OW Thursday night. Osowiecki connected on all six free throws she took for the game, flashing poise beyond her freshman status.        

The good feelings started earlier for the hosts. Purchase raced out to an eight-point lead at the break, capping the first half on a pair of made free throws by Osowiecki, who was fouled in the closing seconds of the period. Old Westbury and Purchase traded jabs in the first 20 minutes, with the Panthers winning the battle of second-chance points (6-4) and tying the score four times in the opening session.

The relentless St.Hilaire was also the star of the first half, scoring 10 points. She also grabbed six boards and swiped one steal. But it was contributions from throughout that spurred the Panthers into the second half.  Osowiecki, Lindsay and Jalisa Fields (SR/Bronx, NY) all scored six points apiece in the frame. Beaulieu added eight points.

Fields would finish with eight for the contest. Lindsay chipped in six.

Old Westbury was paced by point guard Raven Pentz and her 10 points in the first half. Clarissa Gallagher added eight points, hitting a pair of timely 3-pointers over the first 20 minutes.  

In defeat, OW's Scott paced the rival Panthers with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Pentz finished with 10 points.

To boot, Purchase outrebounded (37-35) OW and won the turnover margin (15-25).

The Panthers are now 40 minutes away from the NCAA Tournament.