Box Score KINGS POINT, N.Y.—The Gryphons opened their 2016-17 Skyline Conference schedule with a victory, as Sarah Lawrence College men's basketball defeated U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, 66-57, at Liebertz Gymnasium on Thursday. The win marks the Gryphons first in a Skyline opener in the program's three seasons in the league.
IN SHORT
Sarah Lawrence (2-3, 1-0 Skyline) def. Merchant Marine (1-5, 0-1 Skyline), 66-57.
KEY MOMENTS
Merchant Marine broke open a 7-0 lead to start the game before the Gryphons stormed back. Reigning Skyline Rookie of the Week
Joseph Kleeman (Greenwood Village, Colo./Arapahoe) drained back-to-back three-pointers to cap off a 14-point streak to turn around the advantage, 14-7. The Mariners cut their deficit to four, 14-10, but that would be the closest they would come to challenging Sarah Lawrence for the lead. Junior
Malin Segal (Wenham, Mass./Concord Academy) led SLC with 11 points in the first half, helping the Gryphons carry a 40-27 margin at halftime. Sarah Lawrence scored 34 of its 40 first-half points off the bench, including a total of nine from Kleeman.
In the second half, sophomore
Parker Hagmaier (Oakland, Calif./Bishop O'Dowd) led the Gryphons with 10 points, including 4-for-5 shooting on field goals. The Mariners' starters scored all of their team's points in the period but struggled overall. Sarah Lawrence held the hosts to 27 percent (14-for-52) field-goal shooting in the game. Down the stretch, USMMA closed the lead to six points, 63-57, in the final minute. Kleeman converted on a pair of free throws to insure the victory, and Hagmaier scored the game's final point.
TOP GRYPHONS
Segal and Kleeman shared a team-high 13 points in the game. Merchant Marine's Matt Miller outscored all players with 25 points in the contest. Under the boards, Hagmaier gathered eight rebounds to go with his 12 points and two blocks. Senior
Jeff Jordan II (Smithfield, Va./Smithfield) scored a season-high seven points, while rookie
BJ Sanders (Silver Spring, Md./Georgetown Prep) added five points. Sophomore
Gabriel Eng (Brooklyn, N.Y./The Beacon School) led the squad with six assists, and Kleeman had four steals.
UP NEXT
Sarah Lawrence returns to Bronxville on Friday. In their annual Homecoming game, the Gryphons host Pratt Institute at 8 p.m.
