Purchase, NY (Feb. 5, 2018) – Brian Berrios and the reserves rallied Purchase to a convincing victory over first-place Farmingdale State Monday night at home.

Berrios (SR/New York, NY) scored a game-high 22 points off the bench, teaming with fellow reserve standout Mike Felix (JR/Goshen, NY) in helping the hosts take down the defending champion Rams.

FSC entered the night in first place in the Skyline Conference, one game ahead of the College of Mount Saint Vincent. The loss drops FSC to 14-7 overall, including 12-4 in the league – now tied with CMSV for the top spot.

The victory also improves Purchase's record to 14-7. The Panthers are now 10-6 in conference, good for third place in the standings.

The win helps Purchase avenge a double-digit road loss from earlier in the season to the Rams – the same team that defeated the Panthers in last winter's conference semifinals.

Felix scored 10 points off the bench and had several key shots down the stretch. Max Pearce (SR/Tuckahoe, NY) added 11 off the bench. Purchase had three reserve players in double figures, including the huge night from the sharp-shooting Berrios, an All-Skyline starter from a year ago, who has carved out a new niche as perhaps the conference's best Sixth Man.  

In all, four players totaled double figures for the Panthers. Deshawn Cann (JR/Queens, NY) scored 13, while also handing out a game-high eight assists (tied with FSC's Ali Mableton, who also finished with a team-high 16 points). Four finished in double-figure points for the Rams in defeat.  

FSC led early, holding a 6-2 advantage in the first few minutes. But Rob Grullon (JR/Wallkill, NY) scored on a pretty floater in the lane to bring Purchase back within two, 6-4 in the first four minutes of the period.

But the Rams regrouped and put together a 5-0 spurt to take a 13-4 lead. The run was highlighted by a 3-pointer by FSC and prompted a Panther timeout.

The visitor lead increased to 19-6 just under 13 minutes and 24-10 midway through the half.

Undeterred, Purchase battled back with its bench and the long ball.

A Berrios 3-pointer cut it to 26-15 just under nine minutes.

Shortly after, Pearce sunk a deep shot of his own to bring Purchase back within 10 (28-18).

That's when the Panthers took off.

Cann buried a 3 to make it a five-point game (28-23).

Pearce, who came in off the bench, continued to swing the momentum. His 3 cut it to 32-28 with three minutes left in the opening half.

The highlight play came when Cann got fouled from beyond the arc, made two of three free throws and on the final missed shot watched as teammate Michael Soffer (JR/Agoura Hills, CA) grabbed the rebound and found Berrios for a 3. The trifecta brought the Panthers within one, 34-33.

Felix, also off the bench, scored at 1:45 for Purchase's first lead (35-33) of the night.

FSC closed the half on a made hoop by Mableton. The Rams held a 36-35 advantage at intermission.

Pearce paced Purchase with eight first-half points. FSC's Jermaine Fraser matched the figure.

FSC came out clicking in the second half, seizing a 41-35 lead in the opening minutes.

Purchase pushed back once more. A Tarik Allicock (SR/Brooklyn, NY) dunk brought them with four (41-37), but the Rams had another run to extend the lead back to 10, 47-37.

A George Riefenstahl dunk off an offensive rebound helped FSC hold a 51-39 margin.

However, Purchase showed its resilience on a 13-7 run at the 10-minute marker. The spurt prompted a timeout.

Out of the T.O., the long ball returned for the hosts. A 3 by Berrios cut it back to three, 58-55, and Pearce followed with the game-tying 3.

FSC's Liam Monaghan connected on a 3 to take the lead back.

Felix answered with a nifty post up to tie the game again.

Then Purchase grabbed a 65-61 lead on a Nikeem Deleon (SR/Bronx, NY) layup at 5:53.

Purchase held a 67-63 lead on two made free throws from Berrios at 3:35.

The game was far from over. A Monaghan runner knotted the game at 67.

But Berrios free throws and then a Felix score lifted Purchase to a 71-67 advantage over the final three minutes.

It was 73-70 with a little over a minute to go, as FSC connected on a 3-pointer following another key Felix score.

The Panthers closed out the game on a 6-0 run, highlighted by four made free throws from Grullon and Cann, respectively, and some stellar defensive work from Purchase.

In the process, Purchase splits the season series with FSC.