Feb 19, 2014
OLD WESTBURY, NY (www.OLDWESTBURYPANTHERS.com) - The SUNY College at Old Westbury men's basketball team won its final regular-season home game on Wednesday night, defeating the NYU-Poly Fighting Jays by the score of 104-62. The conference matchup featured a pre-game senior day ceremony honoring seniors Andrew Andries and Tyrik Tucker. With the win the Panthers improve to 14-10 (10-7 Skyline) on the season while the Fighting Jays fall to 4-20 (2-15 Skyline).
NYU-Poly would jump out to its only lead of the game 45 seconds into play courtesy of a Brendan Gallagher three-pointer, but a succeeding 16-0 run by Old Westbury set the tone for the rest of the game. Up 29-16 at 9:32, Old Westbury put together a 23-5 run to extend its lead to 52-21. At the half the hosts maintained a 60-30 lead.
The second half wasn't much different, as the Panthers continued to dominate. At 15:51 Old Westbury held a 68-39 lead, but after a 15-0 streak they earned a game-high 44-point lead at 83-39. The final 12 minutes of the game saw both sides trade points, but at the end of regulation it was Old Westbury ahead by 42.
The Panthers dominated their opponents in nearly every aspect of the game, but most notably on the fast-break (47-13), in the paint (42-26) and points off turnovers (27-146). Old Westbury also shot 60% from the floor while its opponents only shot 32.4%. NYU-Poly did edge Old Westbury in rebounds (42-41), though.
Mark Gjonlekaj led all scorers with a career-high 29 points. The freshman also added two blocks and two steals. Floyd Leroy(24) and Stephon Odle (9) also set career-highs in points, while Nat Vaughan's six assists were also a personal best. SeniorAndrew Andries had a game-high five blocks while contributing nine points and 11 rebounds to the victory. Omari Trebusechipped in with 11 points and six assists.
Brendan Gallagher paced NYU-Poly with 19 points and nine rebounds.
REGULAR SEASON FINAL AGAINST SAGE GATORS UP NEXT FOR THE PANTHERS: The Panthers close out regular season play on Saturday (February 22) when they hit the road to take on the Sage Gators in Troy, New York. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. inside Kahl Gymnasium.
For the latest news on the Panthers, log on to www.oldwestburypanthers.com – the official site of Old Westbury athletics. Also, become a follower of the Panthers on Twitter (OW_Panthers) and "LIKE" Us on Facebook (Old Westbury Panthers Athletics / Old Westbury Athletics Alumni).