PURCHASE, N.Y. - Despite trailing by as many as 14 points Saturday afternoon, the Purchase College men's basketball prevailed in the end, topping the Cannoneers of Pratt Institute by the score of 86-80.

The victory was a true test of the Panthers' determination and grit, as they were forced to play catchup nearly all game long.

Initially, Purchase enjoyed the early advantage, leading by scores of 2-0, 5-2 and 9-5 over the first four minutes of action.

But from then on, Pratt took over. Over the rest of the half, the guests maintained their lead, pushing it to 14 points on three separate occasions.

Despite the double-digit advantage, the Panthers kept things close, trimming the deficit to just eight points, 44-36, at halftime.

Once the second half commenced, the status quo remained as Pratt continued to pace the Panthers for much of the stanza.

It wasn't until the final seven minutes of play that the Panthers truly flipped the script on the guests.

During that stretch run, Purchase outscored Pratt, 22-8, and regained the lead for good via an Elijah Holmes (SO/Brooklyn, NY) fast-break layup with just under three minutes to go, making the score 74-73. 

From there, the Panthers held on to secure the come-from-behind win and end their six-game losing streak.

Despite being outshot in the win, 43.5% to 40.3%, the Panthers more than made up for it with their domination on rebounds, 51-34 overall and 22-11 offensively.

Individually, four players finished with double digits for the hosts, including two 20-point scorers.

Matthew Phillips (SO/Bronx, NY) was stellar in the win, finishing with a massive double-double of 20 points and 18 rebounds.

Rashid Nikiema (FR/Montpelier, VT) was just as dominant, recording 20 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks and three steals.

Other top scorers in the victory were Isaac Johnson (JR/Bronx, NY) with 14 points and Kamar Thomas (JR/Elizabeth, NJ) with 11 points. 

With the result, Purchase now sits at 6-8 overall, while the Cannoneers dropped to 5-12.

Up next for the the Blue and Orange is a return to Skyline Conference play, as the team hosts SUNY Old Westbury on January 17th at 7 p.m.