PURCHASE, N.Y. - The Purchase College men's basketball team edged out a close win Saturday afternoon, rallying to top Johnson & Wales University, 65-64.

With the non-conference win, the Panthers moved to 3-0 on the year. For the Wildcats, they dropped to 1-3.

In the opening half, the initial 15 minutes were a back and forth affair, as each side held the lead on numerous occasions. It wasn't until the frame neared completion that things started to get out of hand for Purchase.

After a layup from Rashid Nikiema (JR/Winooski, VT) put the Blue and Orange ahead, 28-25, the guests went on a tear to close the half.

Over the final 4:30 of the frame, they scored the final 14 points to lead by double digits at halftime, 39-28.

The margin was short lived though, as the Panthers responded with a vengeance to open the second half, scoring 11-straight points to tie the contest.

From there, the action remained tight until the final whistle as the biggest lead for either side was just six points.

During the final five minutes, Purchase turned a 59-all game into a 65-59 lead, thanks to a 3-pointer from Trey Skeete (JR/Brooklyn, NY) and three-point play from Nikiema.

However, the hosts went scoreless over the final 3:23, relying on defense to get the win.

The defense did just enough, allowing only five points the rest of the way and standing firm during the final two possessions to not allow the winning basket.

Overall, the Blue and Orange struggled on offense, shooting just 36.9% from the field and 26.7% from long range. The guests meanwhile, topped both numbers, finishing with 43.6% and 34.8%, respectively.

The difference in the end came from the finer details, as Purchase easily outpaced the guests in total rebounds (43-36) and turnovers (16-19). As a result, the hosts scored more second-chance points and points off turnovers.

Individually, Nikiema led the way for Purchase in his first game of the 2024-25 season, totaling team high's in points (21), assists (4) and blocks (4).

Skeete aided the effort with 14 points and eight rebounds, while Chad Duke (JR/Brooklyn, NY) recorded 10 points.

Up next for the men's basketball team is a week of rest before returning to action at home against CCNY. That game is set for November 30th at noon.