DANBURY, CONN. - The Sarah Lawrence College men's basketball team opened its 2021-22 season, going up against Westfield State University on Saturday night. The Gryphons fell to the Owls 87-63. 

NUMBERS

• Xiyuan Zhang led all scorers, dropping 17 points in 20 mins in his Gryphons debut.
• Liam Barry was the second leading scorer, going for 12 points. 
• David Gelb had a team-high seven rebounds and four assists. 
• Reuben Egan went for 11 points and three boards. 
• The SLC defense caused 11 turnovers.  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Liam Barry recorded the first points of the season for Sarah Lawrence. Westfield State opened the game with a 17-8 run. Zhang knocked down a three, cutting the deficit to six, but the Owls ripped off a 7-0 run, building a 13-point edge. The Owls maintained a double-digit margin for the remainder of the half. Egan finished the half with eight points. 

Andrew Vaorli sank a three-pointer nearly two minutes into the second half, bringing the lead down to 17. Westfield went on a 15-2 run from there, carrying its lead until the final whistle. The Gryphons shot 53.8 percent from deep in the second half. 

UP NEXT
The Gryphons will face Plattsburgh State tomorrow for the final game of the Western Connecticut Tip-off Tournament.