Purchase, NY (Jan. 22, 2018) – He was hotter than hot in the first half, but Purchase guard Michael Soffer saved his best for the final shot Monday night at home.

Soffer's game-winning 3-pointer – his signature the entire evening – caromed in off the backboard glass as time expired and sent the Panthers to a wild 71-68 victory over No. 14 Wesleyan University.

The Purchase win snapped its mini two-game losing streak. The Panthers are now 10-6 overall.

The stunned Cardinals fell to 13-4 in the non-conference tilt. Today in the polls, they improved from No. 19 to No. 14 in the country. They had won four of their last five games, including a win over No. 4 Middlebury. 

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Soffer (JR/Agoura Hills, CA) raced up into the stands following the game winner. His teammates charged behind him, setting off a huge celebration for the Panthers and their hometown crowd on the final day of the holiday break.

Most of the campus returns for second semester tomorrow, with classes beginning on Wednesday, but those in attendance witnessed one of the most memorable Panther home games in recent memory – a dramatic, upending score by Soffer that was brought together by a perfectly placed baseline inbound pass from teammate Deshawn Cann (JR/Queens, NY).

The length of the floor "football pass" and catch with six-tenths remaining evoked shades of some of college basketball's most remarkable finishes, including Duke's Grant Hill and Christian Laettner in the 1992 East Regional NCAA Men's Basketball Finals. 

Soffer was on the money from the start. Appropriate, as he would take it to the bank for the climatic finish.

Wesleyan opened the contest with a 3-pointer, but Soffer countered and splashed a 3 of his own to knot the game.

The Cardinals immediately regained the lead, but Panther center Tarik Allicock (SR/Brooklyn, NY) answered right back with a jam to make it 5-5.

The Panthers would seize a 10-6 advantage moments later, backed by the second three of the game from Soffer and a layup by reserve turned starter Rob Grullon (JR/Wallkill, NY).  

The score would see-saw from there, with Wesleyan taking a 14-12 and 18-14 lead.

Purchase then put together a 6-3 spurt, highlighted by another 3 from Soffer to close within one (21-20).

Moments later, Purchase regained the lead (24-23) on a jumper by Grullon just under six minutes in the first half.

Nikeem Deleon (SR/Bronx, NY) extended the lead to 26-23 at the 5:11 marker.  

The hosts carried that momentum forward by outscoring the Cardinals 8-6 to take a 34-29 lead before Soffer extended it a bit further on another 3. His long-range shooting increased the lead to 37-29.

Purchase closed the first half up 39-34. 

The Panthers connected on six 3s in the period, five from Soffer. He paced all first-half scorers with 15. The Cardinals were led by Nathan Krill and his 10 points.  

The Cardinals bounced back on an 8-0 run to open the second half and take a 42-39 advantage. An Austin Hutcherson dunk prompted a Purchase timeout three minutes into the half. 

Purchase then outscored the Cardinals 4-2 over the next three minutes to close back within one, 44-43.

It was tied 45-45 at 12:40, when Purchase forced a turnover and capitalized on a hoop by Allicock in the paint to regain the lead. The Panther center missed his first attempt, grabbed a rebound in traffic, went back up and scored on the second chance. The clutch basket made it 47-45.

Brian Berrios (SR/New York, NY) then connected on a 3-pointer to bump the margin to 50-45.

Wesleyan then scored back-to-back. Elijah Wilson cut the deficit to 50-49 on a made basket before Cann responded with two straight hoops to make it 54-49 in favor of Purchase.

Both teams reengaged in a back-and-forth battle.

A Berrios 3-pointer made it 57-52 with eight-plus minutes to go in the game.

Hutcherson countered with a 3 to bring the Cardinals back within two.

Deleon followed with a hoop and made it 59-55. That's where it stood with six-and-a-half minutes to go.

Jordan Bonner strung together a two and a three to bring the Cardinals back within one, 61-60.

The Wesleyan guard then handed the Cardinals a lead on a 3-pointer at 3:40. His spurt gave Wesleyan a 62-61 lead.

Soffer then connected on two free throws to take the lead back for Purchase (63-62).

Two free throws by Bonner flipped the score in favor of the Cardinals with under three minutes to play.

It was 64-63 when Purchase called a timeout at 2:38.

Following a JR Bascom score for the visitors, Allicock and Deleon delivered back-to-back baskets – arguably the two most important scores of the game for the hosts up to that point – to give Purchase a 67-66 lead. The Panther defense helped out, too, securing a key turnover during this stretch. 

Soffer tacked on a free throw moments later and Purchase held a two-point advantage in the closing seconds.

With six-tenths to play, a loose ball foul on Bonner sent him to the line with his team trailing. Bonner hit both free throws to tie the game, 68-68.

The game looked destined for overtime until Cann fired the long pass to Soffer, who shed multiple defenders to simply get off a good shot. His fall away 3-point attempt kissed the window of the backboard and right through the net for Purchase's highlight victory of the season.

The Panthers will try and top that win Thursday night at home, when conference play resumes against Mount Saint Mary.

Soffer finished with a game-high 23 points. Cann and Delon added 12 apiece. Allicock finished with eight points and nine rebounds. Grullon netted nine points. Cann also handed out a game-best seven assists. 

The Cardinals were led by Bonner and his 17 points in the loss.