Box Score

Purchase, NY (Feb. 23, 2013) – Talk about a nail biter.

And in a conference final.

Purchase College's women's basketball team – which surpassed every expectation this season – saw its quest for a Skyline Conference championship fall just short when a layup at the buzzer rolled around the rim but fell short, giving Farmingdale State College a 40-39  win and the league crown Saturday early evening at Purchase.

The Panthers' season isn't over yet, as their second-place conference finish and Purchase's very good 17-10 overall record puts it in the ECAC Championships that start this coming week. 

As for the Skyline Championship game – played in front of a boisterous crowd that cheered every basket – ended furiously.

With just under two minutes Farmingdale's Sioban Purvis hit a layup to put Farmingdale up 38-37, but Purchase's Talia Beaulieu (SR/Waldorf, MD) made it 39-38 with a layup of her own with 1:33 to go.

Farmingdale's Nikita Green was then fouled with 45 seconds to go, but missed the shot.  A scramble ensued, resulting in a jump ball that went Purchase's way. 

But Purchase had a hard time breaking the Farmingdale press and threw the ball away with Farmingdale's Nicky Young being fouled. Cold previously from the line, she made both to put Farmingdale up 40-39 with nine seconds to go.

Purchase's Beaulieu took the inbounds pass, raced the full length of the court and passed the ball to Jalisa Fields (SR/Bronx, NY), who went up in heavy traffic and saw her layup fall just short to give Farmingdale the win and the championship.

Both teams started the game nervously, with just four points scored in the game's first four minutes and only 11 points between both teams scored in the game's first nine minutes. 

The game's first moments also featured multiple turnovers by both teams and Purchase was hurt during the game's first two and half minutes when one of their leaders, All-Skyline 2nd Team selection Beaulieu, picked up two fouls and had to head to the bench.

After Purchase found themselves down 6-0, Purchase's Lineker St.Hilaire (SO/Wyandanch, NY) picked up the first Panther basket at 15:20. 

And at the 11 minute mark in the half, Jessica Biggs (SR/Nanuet, NY) hit a 3-pointer for Purchase to even the score at seven to get the Panthers back into the game and put some excitement into the crowd.

Later in the half, down 15-11, Purchase's Alexis Billups (SR/Chester, NY) – on two consecutive trips – drove the lane and was fouled, each time hitting both her free throws to even the score at 15-15 with five minutes to go in the stanza. 

That started a 10-2 run for Purchase that took the score 21-17 with just over a minute to go before Farmingdale's Young hit two free throws to make it 21-19 Purchase with just over a minute to go. But Purchase All-Skyline 1st Team selection Jess Lindsay (JR/Rochester, NY) made a steal a midcourt with less than five seconds to go and put in a layup to take the Panthers into the halftime locker room up 23-19.

Christina Rupp (SO/Ossining, NY) – who, ironically, suffered a concussion during the first game between Purchase and Farmingdale and had to sit out most of the season – was Purchase's leading scorer in the half with six.

Beaulieu started the second half and in the first two minutes hit a short jumper to put Purchase up 25-19 at the 18 minute mark to go in the game.

Farmingdale crept back, but with the score 27-25 with 14 minutes to go, Lindsay hit a short jumper to make it 29-25. 

But Green then hit a 3-pointer to cut the Purchase lead to one at 29-28 at the 13 minute mark, and Young hit one free throw to tie the game at 29 with 11:47 to go.

Both teams exchanged a number of misses until Purvis hit a layup at 7:47 to put Farmingdale up 31-29, but Purchase's Lindsay hit a jumper to tie it back up at 31-31 with 6:45 to go.

At the 5:10 mark, St.Hilaire hit  a short jumper and after a steal, Beaulieu hit a layup at 4:55 to put the Panthers up 35-31. She then hit a put back at 4:15 to make the score 37-31. 

But Christina Merrill hit a 3-pointer to  make it 37-34 with just under four minutes to go and Green hit a layup at 2:25 to bring Farmingdale to within one point at 37-36, leading to the furious finish.

Lindsay led the Panthers with 10 points and eight boards. Beaulieu chipped in with eight points and seven rebounds.

Purvis had 13 points and 13 rebounds for Farmingdale, while Young scored 10 points and pulled down nine rebounds.

Reflecting the game's low score, Farmingdale shot 29.8 percent from the floor, while Purchase shot at a 25 percent rate.