Galloway, NJ (Nov. 18, 2017) – Purchase men's basketball recovered quickly from their first defeat of the season Friday night, topping Centenary University Saturday, 74-55.

The Panthers, which fell to Morrisville State in the opener of the Stockton Tip-Off the night before, bounced back against Centenary in the final game of the weekend tourney. Four Panthers finished in double figures offensively, including team-high scorer Nikeem Deleon (SR/Bronx, NY). Deleon posted his best game of the early season with 18 points on 6 of 9 shooting.

Deleon teamed with frontcourt mate Tarik Allicock (SR/Brooklyn, NY), who was also masterful in an impressive double-double effort. The big man totaled 13 points and hauled in a game-high 21 rebounds, including 15 on the defensive glass. Deshawn Cann (JR/Queens, NY) added 11 points, while Michael Soffer (JR/Agoura Hills, CA) came off the bench to spark the second unit and score 12 on 5 of 10 shooting. Soffer also connected on two 3-pointers on the day.
 
The Panthers held a 34-30 lead at halftime. In the second half, Purchase went on a roll. They outscored their opponent 40-25 down the stretch, shooting 52 percent in the second half.

Centenary (0-2) was led by game-high scorer Rashaan Spencer. He finished with 19 points.

Purchase's defense limited Centenary to 29.2 percent shooting for the game. The Panthers are now 2-1 on the season.

The Panthers return to action Tuesday on the road.