Purchase, NY (Jan. 16, 2018) – The Purchase College men's basketball team overcame a slow start against SUNY Old Westbury and battled its way back to an 81-65 Skyline Conference victory on Tuesday evening.

With the win, Purchase advances to 9-4 overall and 6-3 in the Skyline, while OW drops to 5-9 overall, 4-5 in the league.

Purchase shot 55 percent overall (29-for-53) and assisted on 24 made baskets. The host Panthers also went 12-for-16 at the free throw line and scored 24 points in the paint.

Junior guard Michael Soffer (Agoura Hills, CA) led the offensive attack with 17 points, including 7-of-8 from the free throw line. Senior Tarik Allicock (Brooklyn, NY) netted 14 points and pulled down seven boards, to go-along with another 14 points from senior Brian Berrios (New York, NY).

Senior guard Max Pearce (Tuckahoe, NY) chipped in with 12 points and five assists. Junior guard Deshawn Cann (Queens, NY) added another 12 points, highlighted by a putback dunk in the second half. Cann also ripped down a team-best nine rebounds, while senior guard Nikeem Deleon (Bronx, NY) dished out a game-high eight assists.

Senior Kaliph Grant (Bronx, NY) and junior Mezu Agwu (Ramapo, NY) accounted for the final five points for Purchase.

It was a slow start offensively for both teams as Purchase and OW played to a 5-5 tie over the opening five minutes. The visiting Panthers then took a 35-22 lead over the next 10 minutes of play. OW kept the momentum going to take a 45-32 advantage at the end of the first half.

The league foes traded baskets to start the second half but Purchase slowly chipped away at the Old Westbury lead to come within five points with 15:17 on the clock. A 3-point play by Pearce followed by a transition layup from Cann tied the game at 53 apiece with just under 14 minutes to play.

An Allicock layup at 12:41 broke the deadlock and the Panthers never looked back from there. Purchase grew its lead to as much as 16 points and held the visitors to 30 percent shooting in the second half.

The Panthers went on an 8-2 run in the final minutes of action to put the game out of reach and secure the 81-65 victory.

Purchase will travel to Patchogue, NY this Thursday for a 7 p.m. tip-off against St. Joseph's College (L.I.).