UNION, NJ – The Purchase College men's basketball team laced up the sneakers and took to the court for the first time in 617 days on Monday night at Kean University.

Despite a valiant effort, the Panthers fell in defeat to the NJAC powerhouse Cougars, 87-46.

Both teams struggled to shake off the rust early on as the opening three minutes went scoreless. Purchase senior guard Jordan Knochen (Maybrook, NY) broke the ice with a putback in the paint at 17:38.

Kean junior guard Letrell West evened the score on the next possession, off the assist from JD Daniels.

The lead exchanged hands another five times before Kean's offense exploded with a 14-0 run to close the half out in front, 46-21.

The hosts continued to heat up in the second half, connecting on 46.7 percent (14-30) from the field and 50 percent (5-10) from beyond the arc. Kean (1-0) closed the game with a 41-point advantage—its biggest margin of the night.

West recorded his first double-double of the season to lead the Cougars. He netted 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Patrick Strzala tallied 13 points and five assists.

Purchase (0-1) was led by a 15-point performance off the bench from freshman guard Justin Mason (Staten Island, NY). The standout rookie also collected two rebounds and a pair of steals, while junior forward Terrence Mason (Greenburgh, NY) tied the game-high with 10 boards.

With first-year coach Daniel Bozzelli at the helm, the Panthers look to bounce back from Monday's non-conference loss when they return to action this Friday at the City College of New York. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m.