PURCHASE, N.Y. - The Purchase College men's basketball team was defeated at home Saturday afternoon, falling to Sarah Lawrence College by the score of 78-72. 

With the result, the Panthers dropped to 8-4 overall and 2-1 in the Skyline Conference. For the Gryphons, they advanced to 5-9 and 2-3, respectively.

During the opening 10 minutes, the hosts were in the driver's seat as they raced out to a 24-14 lead early on.

That all changed over the next five minutes though, as Sarah Lawrence rallied back with a 19-0 run, flipping the deficit into a 33-24 lead.

As a result, the Panthers trailed at halftime 37-30. Once the second half began, Purchase worked to trim the margin.

On a handful of occasions, the Blue and Orange cut the deficit to just a three-point game, but failed to tie the contest up in the period.

For the day, the hosts shot 45.2% from the field and 27.3% on 3-pointers, while Sarah Lawrence finished with totals of 45% and 45.5%, respectively.

Leading the Panther offense was Mahamadou Nimaga (SR/Bronx, NY), as he finished with 15 points and four assists. Oliver Culliton (JR/Boston, MA) totaled 12 points, making three 3-pointers in the effort.

Matthew Phillips (JR/Bronx, NY) added 10 points, 14 rebounds and four steals, while Chad Duke (JR/Brooklyn, NY) chipped in 10 points.

Up next for Purchase is a road showdown with Anderson Hill Road rival, Manhattanville College. That contest is scheduled for January 8th at 5 p.m.