PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Purchase College men's basketball team suffered a tough setback, falling to Mitchell College, 81-69, in a non-conference matchup on Tuesday night.

With the results, the Panthers dropped to 1-3 overall, while the visitors improved to 1-3.

The Blue and Orange took control of the opening period after some back and forth, ultimately taking a 48-39 lead into halftime.

But the momentum shifted drastically after the break. The Mariners outscored the Panthers 42-21 in the second half, turning a once-promising night into a frustrating finish.

Offensively, the Panthers cooled late, shooting just 26.7 percent in the second half after hitting over 51 percent in the first. Purchase finished at 34.6 percent from three and 66.7 percent at the free-throw line, while Mitchell shot 29.4 percent from deep and 57.1 percent at the stripe. Ultimately, the guests' more balanced field-goal shooting proved to be the difference.

For the Blue and Orange, Trey Skeete (SR/Brooklyn, NY) poured in a team-high 25 points—including 5-of-8 from beyond the arc—while adding seven rebounds. Chris Hunter (SR/Charlotte, NC) followed with 10 points, six boards and three assists, while Desmond Ward (SR/Queens, NY) added 10 points and a team-best nine rebounds. Guillermo Zabala (SO/Port Chester, NY) and Ricky Rollins (JR/Schenectady, NY) chipped in seven and six points, respectively.

Up next, Purchase will return to their home court to host Skidmore College at 2 p.m. on November 22nd.