Box Score 

Purchase, NY (Mar. 8, 2014) – Ten lead changes, seven tied scores and two teams that were just about as evenly matched as could be, battled on the hardwood Saturday night at Purchase for a chance to advance to the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball "Sweet 16."

Both programs rose from the proverbial ashes to become national contenders, but only one would advance. No. 13 Albertus Magnus topped No. 15 Purchase 87-79 in another thriller between the two clubs. The 27-2 Falcons, which handed 26-3 Purchase its first loss this season, also delivered the team's final defeat, with the Panthers eliminated from the tournament following Saturday night's loss. Albertus Magnus will now move on and likely face Williams in the next round of the bracket.

Although Albertus Magnus led 38-31 at the break, the game was decided late. The Falcons led by as many as 13 with six minutes to go, but the valiant Panthers closed the gap to five with under three minutes. Purchase, which led by as many as five in the game's opening seven minutes, could not overcome the halftime margin, even with captain David Haughton (SR/Greenburgh, NY) throwing down an emphatic dunk with two minutes that spurred the Panthers in a back-and-forth free-throw contest to close the game.

In the end, the Falcons, led by standout forward and conference player of the year Darius Watson (game-high 26 points), were too much for the Panthers. The Falcons also received 24 points and 17 rebounds from center Victor Ljuljdjuraj. Point guard Eian Davis (eight assists) and guard James Jennings (15 points) also played major roles in the outcome, with Jennings hitting a key 3-pointer in the closing minutes to help seal the win.

The two teams nearly shot the same percentage for the game (44.6 percent for Albertus Magnus, 44.3 percent for Purchase), but the Falcons won the rebounding margin (39-34) and narrowly edged the Panther big three in escaping Purchase with a victory. Haughton totaled 18 points and 11 rebounds in his final game as a Panther. The Skyline Conference Player of the Year Andre Nixon (SR/Harlem, NY), also playing in his final Purchase game, finished with 20 points. Sparkplug Jake Stevens III (SR/Brooklyn, NY) added a team-high 22 points.

The Falcons held off Purchase late, outscoring the Panthers 49-48 in the second half for the eight-point win.

Albertus Magnus head coach Mitch Oliver, now in his seventh season, has taken the program from four wins his first year to the college's first-ever Sweet 16, while Purchase head coach Jeff Charney, whose squad his first season as an interim head coach won three games and has since collected four of five conference crowns and four NCAA Tournament appearances.

Tonight's matchup capped Purchase's first-ever appearance as an NCAA Tournament host in any sport.