BROOKVILLE, N.Y. - The Purchase College men's basketball team closed out the 2022 calendar with a loss Thursday afternoon, falling to Long Island University, a Division I program, by the score of 95-58. 

The game was considered exhibition for the Panthers, meaning their record heading into 2023 will remain 5-6 overall and 1-3 in the Skyline Conference. For the Sharks of LIU, the contest did count for their season total, as they improved to 2-10.

From the initial tip to the final horn, the hosts showed why they are a D1 program. LIU lead the entire game, as Purchase fell behind early and was unable to fight back.

Over the course of the first half, the Sharks built a lead as big as 15 points, before settling for a 41-28 margin at the midway break. In the second half, the Panthers continued to battle, but never got closer than 11 points. 

Overall, Purchase was bested in three major categories - shooting percentage (51.4% to 40.4%), rebounds (51-31) and turnovers (19-11).

Individually, Mark Morgan (SR/Bronx, NY) finished with a team-high 15 points, as he was the only Panther to finish in double figures. Matthew Phillips (SO/Bronx, NY) added nine points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks in the loss. 

Up next for the Panthers are two weeks off for the holidays, before they return to action on January 7th at Sarah Lawrence College. That Skyline Conference matchup is set to begin at 2 p.m. and you can follow it here.