BROOKLYN, N.Y. - After winning two games in two days, the Purchase College men's basketball team secured a tournament championship to close out 2023.
Playing at Medgar Evers College in the 4th Annual Dr. Carol V. Decosta/Go 4 the Goal Tournament, the Panthers bested Mount Aloysius College and Vermont State University Castleton in back-to-back contests to walk away with the gold.
Junior guard
Chad Duke (Brooklyn, NY) was named Tournament MVP after averaging 19.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, while
Rashid Nikiema (SO/Winooski, VT) was named to the All-Tournament Team.Â
Nikiema finished with totals of 10.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game over the weekend.
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Chad Duke
Semifinals - Purchase 88, Mount Aloysius 85
The opening game of the two-day stretch turned out to be the closest one, as the Blue and Orange edged the Mounties by just three points.
While the final margin was close, it was actually a blowout early on, as Purchase led by as many as 18 points in the first half.Â
However, just five minutes into the second half, Mount Aloysius had stormed back to pull in front. The two sides then traded the margin back and forth until approximately 10 minutes remained.
From there, the Panthers held the advantage the rest of the way to earn the win.
Duke finished with a team-high 14 points, while
Mahamadou Nimaga (SR/Bronx, NY) added 12 points and Nikiema chipped in 11 points.
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Rashid Nikiema
Championship Game - Purchase 74, Castleton 52
Less than 24 hours after winning the semifinal matchup, the Blue and Orange were back in the win column, this time after cruising past the Spartans of Castleton.
Purchase opened with eight-straight points to set the stage, and led by as many as 26 points, in a contest it never trailed in.
For the game, the Panthers shot 41.2% overall and 37.0% on 3-pointers. Duke lead everyone with a game-high 25 points, adding four rebounds and three blocks.
Matthew Phillips (JR/Bronx, NY) and
Trevor Mooney (JR/Larchmont, NY) each added 12 points apiece.Â
Up next for the Panthers is a week of rest, before they return to their home court against Sarah Lawrence College on January 6th. That game is set to begin at noon.
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