NEWBURGH, N.Y. - In a game that featured 12 lead changes and nine tie scores, there was a good chance the outcome would hinge on the final play.

Unfortunately for the Purchase College men's basketball team Saturday afternoon, that outcome came at its expense as Mount Saint Mary College topped the Panthers with a buzzer beater, 74-73.

As a result, the Blue and Orange were eliminated from playoff contention, and finished the year 13-12 overall and 7-9 in Skyline Conference games. For the Knights, they finished 8-17 and 6-10, respectively.

During the entire 40 minutes of action, neither side led by more than five points as it was a slugfest throughout.

In the opening half, each side traded the advantage back and forth, before the guests enjoyed the lead at halftime, 37-33.

Following the break, things remained tight as the biggest margin for either team in the second was just four points.

As the game began to reach its conclusion, it appeared that Purchase had done enough secure the win, as Mahamadou Nimaga (SR/Bronx, NY) converted a layup to put the Panthers ahead, 73-69, with :38 seconds remaining,

However, the Knights, who were celebrating Senior Day, decided to play the role of spoiler. On the next trip down the court, they converted a 3-pointer to trim the margin to just a single point.

Mount Saint Mary then fouled with :16 seconds to go, putting Purchase on the line to shoot a 1-and-1 free throw chance. The Panthers missed the first shot, as the hosts grabbed the rebound and raced back down the court.

Neither side called timeout, which setup a classic finish.

Initially, the Blue and Orange's defense was lockdown and it appeared that the Knights might not even get a shot off. However, at the very last second, Jayden Figueroa found a slashing Elijah Barnett, who put up a contested layup with just one second to go.

As the horn sounded and the backboard lit up, Barnett's layup slipped throw the rim to seal the Panthers' fate.

The hosts swarmed their teammates on the floor as the Panthers were left stunned. It was a tough end to a much improved season compared to 2022-23.

One year ago, Purchase went 8-17 and 3-13, respectively. This season also marked the first time Purchase had a winning record since 2019-20.

Individually, sophomore Rashid Nikiema (Winooski, VT) closed out his second season by leading the Panthers is points once again, this time with a game-high 15. He also grabbed four rebounds and three steals.

Nimaga and Oliver Culliton (JR/Boston, MA) each totaled 14 points apiece, while Isaac Johnson (SR/Bronx, NY) chipped in 12 points in the effort.

The game marked the final Purchase contests for Nimaga and Johnson, as the duo is set to graduate in May.

As for the team performances, the visitors shot 42.4% for the contest, while nailing 27.8% of their 3-pointers. For the hosts, they compiled numbers of 42.1% and 52.4%, respectively.

Men's basketball will return to the court in November 2024 for the 24-25 campaign.