RIVERDALE, N.Y. - The Purchase College men's basketball team outlasted the College of Mount Saint Vincent Saturday afternoon, as the Panthers grabbed a tough Skyline Conference road win, 71-67.

In total, the contest saw 12 lead changes and seven tie scores overall.

In the first half, the biggest lead for either side was just seven points, as the Blue and Orange clung to a two-point margin at the halftime break, 36-34.

Once the game shifted to the second period, the Panthers slowly began to pull away, pushing their advantage to as many as 11 points with just over 11 minutes to go.

However, the Dolphins managed to not only fight their way back, but actually grabbed the lead twice late down the stretch, before Purchase came up with the plays it needed.

After the hosts nailed a free throw that tied the contest at 67-all with 16 seconds remaining, the Panthers raced down the court for one final chance.

With about five seconds on the clock, the Blue and Orange shot a deep two pointer that missed, but landed right in the hands of Rashid Nikiema (SO/Winooski, VT).

Nikiema, who was under the basket, caught the ball and converted an uncontested reverse layup to give Purchase the lead, 69-67, with just 2.5 seconds left.

The Panthers' defense then forced Mount Saint Vincent to turn the ball over on the ensuing possession, before a perfectly executed inbounds play allowed the guests to find a wide open Matthew Phillips (JR/Bronx, NY) for a game-sealing dunk.

For the game, Purchase shot 40.3% overall and 28% from 3-point range. For the Dolphins, they finished with marks of 44.1% and 53.3%, respectively.

Despite the shooting differential, the Panthers enjoyed better margins in key categories such as bench points (18-11) and second chance points (20-14) to earn the win.

Leading the charge for Purchase was Phillips, as he finished with 22 points, 13 points and four blocks. It was his fourth double-double in seven games.

Chad Duke (JR/Brooklyn, NY) tallied 13 points and three steals, while Nikiema and Isaac Johnson (SR/Bronx, NY) each totaled 12 points apiece.

With the victory, the Blue and Orange moved to 5-2 overall and 2-0 in the Skyline. For the Dolphins, they dropped to 2-7 and 1-2, respectively.

Up next for the Panthers is a return home, as they welcome John Jay College for a non-conference battle. That game is set for December 12th at 8 p.m.