http://www.purchasecollegeathletics.com/news/2014/2/27/MBB_0227141734.aspx?path=mbball
Box
Score
Purchase, NY (Feb 27,
2014) - The Purchase Panthers were victorious
tonight, topping the resilient Old Westbury Panthers by a final
score of 88-73.
Another highlight of the evening took place in the second
half when Andre
Nixon (SR/Harlem, NY) hit a
3-pointer from the left corner to surpass his 1,000th collegiate
career point. He is now one of four to receive the honor here at
Purchase since joining the Skyline Conference back in
2007.
The home Panthers started the game very
aggressively. Joel
Neri (JR/Port Chester, NY) got
fouled multiple times, wreaking havoc for the opposing defense. His
teammates made it their mission to feed him early and
often.
On the other end, the visiting team could not buy a basket
for the first 10 minutes of the game, and with 10:02 left in
first-half action, Purchase led 20-3.
Old Westbury, however, showed resilience in the second half.
They were down by only 16 points with 9:30 left to play after being
in a 30-4 hole in the first half. They showed their strong
full-court press throughout the game, which forced eight Purchase
turnovers in the second stanza.
Tonight's top guns for the home squad were Neri, Nixon
and David
Haughton (SR/Greenburgh, NY). Neri
and Nixon both led the team with 21 points apiece. Neri went
13-15 from the charity stripe and totaled six rebounds and two
blocks.
Haughton went double-double on the evening, posting a
game-high 26 total rebounds; 12 of which came on the offensive end.
Haughton also contributed 14 total points, two blocks and two
assists.
In defeat, the key contributors for the visiting Panthers
were Mark Gjonlekaj, Omari Trebuse and Floyd Leroy. Gjonlekaj had a
game-high 22 points, three rebounds, two assists, one steal and one
block. Trebuse posted 16 points, three rebounds and two assists.
Leroy chipped in 18 points, six rebounds and one assist.
For the championship game, Purchase will host the
second-seeded Mount Saint Mary Knights on Saturday night. Tipoff is
7 p.m.
-Stefan Oliva