Box Score
Purchase, NY (Jan. 29, 2014) – The Panthers led from wire-to-wire, winning their fifteenth game of the season, 68-48, against the College of Mount Saint Vincent Dolphins.
Purchase responded very nicely in tonight's game after itsfirst loss of the season against Albertus Magnus College on Monday night.
The Panthers' top guns were Joel Neri (JR/Port Chester, NY) and Andre Nixon (SR/Harlem, NY).
Neri totaled a game-high 17 points and 13 rebounds, adding four blocks in his double-double effort. Nixon chipped in with 15 points to go along with four boards, four assists and two steals. David Haughton (SR/Greenburgh, NY) provided energy and hustle, scoring 13 points and pulling down 10 rebounds
The Panthers lit up the first five minutes of the second-half action, scoring inside at will and going on a 10-0 run.
An Indiana Pacer-like defense ignited frustration from the visiting bench.
Purchase got its hands in the passing lanes, forcing three turnovers in the first four minutes. They also made life around the basket difficult for the Dolphins, blocking two shots.
Ryan Lobban (SR/Bronx, NY) put down a monster dunk off a Justin Person (JR/Greenburgh, NY) miss with 17:48 left in the game. The crowd let out a sympathetic "aw," as Haughton missed an alley-oop attempt off the side of the backboard. Luckily for him, he has been an absolute demon on the glass for the past few games, especially on the offensive end. He totaled 10 rebounds, six of which were offensive.
Early on, the pace of the game was dictated by the boards and possession in the paint. The Dolphins' bench started a "defense!" chant twice during the first half, but to no avail as Purchase jumped out to a 23-12 lead with less than 10 minutes to play in the half. Three minutes later, the Panthers started to lose their edge as Mount St. Vincent went on an 11-4 run.
Neri responded with two at the charity stripe. The home squad then went on a small run as the crowd answered back with excitement.
The Panthers took a 33-23 lead after halftime.
A "WE WANT SOUP!" chant emerged from the crowd with six minutes left to play. Head coach Jeff Charney obliged, entering in Isaac Campbell (SR/Mount Vernon, NY). The reserve guard did not suit up in the fall, as he was saving up his last semester of eligibility for the championship half of the season.
The final few minutes were sloppy for both teams. Purchase turned it over 11 times in the last six minutes while the Dolphins gave up possession five times.
CMSV was led by former Panther Brandon Serrano, who had 10 points and eight rebounds, and Kevin Henry, who added 11 points and seven boards.
The Panthers are now 9-0 in the Skyline. They continue conference play on the road, as they get set to faceoff against the Rams of Farmingdale State on Saturday.
