http://www.purchasecollegeathletics.com/news/2014/2/4/MBB_0204143840.aspx?path=mbball
By Jeziel Jimenez
Purchase, NY (Feb. 4, 2014) – No. 1 vs. No. 2.
That was the story Tuesday night as Purchase, now ranked No. 20 in the country, hosted Mount Saint Mary – the team trailing the Panthers in the Skyline Conference standings.
The rankings stayed true to form as Purchase held off MSMC 76-70, utilizing another terrific second-half, one that was highlighted by another all-around effort from captain Justin Person(JR/Greenburgh, NY) and reserve guard Jake Stevens III (SR/Brooklyn, NY), who connected on some timely hoops in the final minutes to seal the win for the hosts.
It was a thrilling come-from-behind win for No. 20 Purchase. In a matchup that wouldn't be decided until the waning moments of the game, the Panthers prevailed, snapping the Knights seven-game win-streak.
Guard Donte Howell led the Knights in scoring with 21 points for the game on 5-of-11 shooting. He was accompanied by MSMC's two Joes, Joe Stabach and Joe Henain, as the only other Knights in double figures, with 19 and 10, respectively.
Joel Neri (JR/Port Chester NY), despite being a target of most opponents' scouting reports, was able to drop 24 points to lead all scorers, including a handful of monster slams. And no surprise here, he was also able to haul in seven rebounds.
The real star of the game, however, was Person. In addition to scoring 14 points and being the only other Panther to reach double figures, he was able to dish out seven assists, grab two steals, and he even blocked a shot. He created such a ruckus, that fans could hear the MSMC coach yelling for his team to "shut down Person" – all to no avail.
The Panthers started the game sluggish after losing the tip. Purchase shot 13 of 30 for the first half, and missed all of their three-point attempts for the first period. That and five turnovers helped Mount Saint Mary to an eight-point lead.
The Panthers would fight back.
A Person rebound led to a Neri dunk that would knot the game up at 30 points apiece, with less than a minute left in the half. A 3-pointer by Donte Howell brought the Knights' lead back up to three points to end the half (33-30).
Going into the half down three must have lit a fire under the Panthers, because they came out in the second half with a vengeance. After five minutes in the second, the Panthers took the lead at 41-40 and never looked back.
The Knights would have a short-lived lead with seven minutes to go, but a Persons3-pointer would give the Panthers a two-point margin that would carry them to the end of the game.
Purchase eventually stretched the lead to 10 points.
However, the Knights would cut that lead to six points, but a technical foul by the MSMC bench gave the Panthers a chance to stretch the lead yet again.
A made free-throw by Stevens would swing any momentum the Knights had left for the Panthers, who would win their 11th straight Skyline matchup this season.
Purchase Improved to 17-1 overall and 11-0 in the conference, while dropping the Knights to 15-5 overall and 11-2 in league play – only their second defeat to a Skyline opponent.
Next up, the Panthers play host to SUNY Maritime Saturday at noon.