PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Purchase College women's basketball team celebrated its lone senior, Carlye Graff, on Saturday afternoon before taking on St. Joseph's University-Long Island (SJLI) in a Skyline Conference matchup.
Despite a strong fourth-quarter push, the Panthers ultimately fell 53-45 to the Golden Eagles.
With the result, the Blue and Orange are now 4-19 overall and 3-15 in the Skyline, while SJLI improved to 17-7, 13-6, respectively.
Before the game, the Panthers honored Graff (South Nyack, NY) with flowers and gifts, recognizing her dedication and leadership.
Head coach Steve Bower praised her resilience in joining the program at a challenging time and commended her relentless work ethic. She was joined by family, friends, Purchase College President Dr. Milly Peña, and Athletic Director Chris Bisignano.
Graff, a two-year starter, has appeared in all 47 games for Purchase, averaging 8.9 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. She leads the Skyline Conference in made three-pointers and three-pointers per game while ranking second in three-point field goal percentage. Her impact on the program has been immeasurable, setting a high standard for future Panthers.
With the celebrations complete, the hosts shifted their focus to the game.
Despite winning the tipoff, Purchase fell behind early as the Golden Eagles took a 10-5 lead in the first quarter and extended their advantage to 28-19 at halftime.
The visitors maintained control in the third, outscoring the Panthers 16-10 before the Blue and Orange mounted a final-quarter rally. Purchase outscored SJLI 16-9 in the final quarter, but the rally fell short, sealing a 53-45 defeat.
Individually, Charlee Neb (JR/Longmont, CO) led Purchase with 15 points and eight rebounds while Graff added 14 points, eight rebounds, and two steals.
Halle Greaige (SO/Rye Brook, NY) contributed six points and five rebounds and Tvisha Sivaramakrishnan (FY/White Plains, NY) tallied seven points and three rebounds.
Purchase shot 29.2% from the field and 28.0% from three-point range, while St. Joseph's finished at 25.0% and 11.5%, respectively.
Up next, the Blue and Orange will host Yeshiva University for their final home game of the season on February 19 at 8 p.m.
For the latest news on the Panthers, visit the official site of Purchase College Athletics. Also, become a follower of the Panthers on Instagram (purchasewbb), Twitter (@PC_Panthers) and TikTok (@purchasecollegeathletics) and "LIKE" Us on Facebook (@purchasecollegeathletics).
