BRONXVILLE, N.Y. – The Sarah Lawrence men's basketball team improved to 2-0 in Skyline play Tuesday with a 73-59 victory over St. Joseph's Long Island at Campbell Sports Center. It is the first-ever win over the Golden Eagles in school history, as the Gryphons improve to 3-3 overall this season.

IN SHORT
Sarah Lawrence (3-3, 2-0) def. St. Joseph's Long Island (2-3, 1-1), 73-59.

TOP GRYPHON PERFORMERS
Three Gryphons finished in double-figures in the win. BJ Sanders paced Sarah Lawrence with 15 points, while contributing nine rebounds and a game-high four steals.

Enike Anyia finished with a double-double for a second straight game, recording 11 points and 13 rebounds. The sophomore also added a pair of steals. Gabriel Eng notched 11 points and four assists, while Isaiah Pean contributed eight points and a team-high five assists.

RECAP
Sarah Lawrence turned in a strong performance in its 2018-19 Campbell Sports Center debut, jumping out to its best start in league play in team history.

It was a back and forth opening period between the two squads, featuring five lead changes. Trailing 26-24 with 2:11 remaining in the half, Sarah Lawrence used back-to-back 3-pointers from Andrew Varoli and Luke O'Connor to take a 30-26 lead with 1:25 on the clock. The Golden Eagles, who entered the day with back-to-back wins, scored a layup in the final minute to trail 30-28 at intermission.

Eng began the second half with a 3-pointer, fueling a 7-0 run, as Sarah Lawrence went on to outscore St. Joseph's 13-4 in the opening 4:59 for a 43-32 cushion with 15:01 left in regulation.

The Golden Eagles battled back to shrink the deficit to four (55-51) with 7:47 remaining. Sarah Lawrence pulled away for good, using a 16-4 spurt over 5:49 to open up a 71-55 advantage, its largest of the evening, running away for the win. The run was keyed by seven points from Sanders, and strong free throw shooting, as the Gryphons made 6-of-7 from the charity stripe down the stretch.

Sarah Lawrence picked up its intensity on defense in the second half, forcing St. Joseph's into 12 turnovers. The Gryphons recorded eight steals and one block in the final period, converting it into 20 points.

UP NEXT
Sarah Lawrence will look to remain unbeaten in conference play on Thursday (Nov. 29) against Merchant Marine at Campbell Sports Center. Game time is scheduled for 8 p.m.