BRONXVILLE, N.Y. - The Sarah Lawrence men's basketball program took the court for the first time in the new year, hosting the University of Mount Saint Vincent Dolphins at the Campbell Sports Center. The Gryphons and Dolphins battled in a back-and-forth affair but the visitors ultimately pulled away for a 72-62 victory after a strong offensive second half.

Top Performers

• Eamon Kelly led all Gryphons with 17 points in addition to pulling down eight rebounds and distributing five assists
• Chris Dougherty scored 11 points off the bench while adding two steals and two blocks
• Lucas Murray earned a double-double with a ten-point and ten-rebound effort

How it Happened

The game started with a 5-0 Mount Saint Vincent run before a well-timed timeout by the Gryphons allowed them to reduce the lead to one a few minutes later with an 11-10 scoreline after a Dougherty triple. The Dolphins pulled ahead once again, scoring six straight points, but first year Andrew Kim and sophomore Braden Burman would respond with back-to-back three-pointers to once again reduce the gap to just one point. After over a minute of scoreless basketball the Dolphins jumped ahead before the Gryphons used a Dougherty jumper to tie the game at 22. Back-to-back layups by Dean Furlong and Derek Hickman gave SLC a four-point lead and despite an immediate answer by UMSV's Joshua Cabezudo the Gryphons maintained their lead. Murray would score six of the team's final nine points of the half and the Gryphons would fend of a late four-point play by Kevin Ageymang that reduced the lead to just three points. After another Cabezudo make, the game was tied with 30 seconds remaining before the halftime buzzer. Kim found Kelly with 18 seconds remaining and the Louisiana native connected from deep to give the Gryphons a three-point lead heading into the break.

The Gryphons would keep the momentum at the onset of the second half with another Kelly triple and a pair of free-throws by Murray to take a six-point lead. The Dolphins would waste no time getting back in the game, scoring the next six points to tie the contest with 15 minutes remaining, sealed by a Connor Wein fastbreak layup. Furlong would connect from the paint to answer and the two teams would trade buckets for the next four minutes before another Kelly triple reduced a UMSV lead to one point. A seven-point run capped by another fastbreak score gave the visitors a commanding 55-47 lead, but Kelly would once again answer back for SLC. The sophomore connected from deep off a pass by Hickman and reduced the lead to four, but the Dolphins answered back with a score of their own. Two free throws from Kelly and a made jumper by Burman brought the game back to a one-possession contest, but multiple late connections from deep by the Dolphins made it impossible for the Gryphons to get back in the game. After a handful of late-game free-throw attempts, the Dolphins emerged with a ten-point victory, skewing how close of a contest it truly was.

Up Next

The Gryphons (4-9, Skyline 1-3) will return to action on Saturday, January 6th as they travel to Purchase College to take on the division-leading Panthers at 12:00 PM. Game coverage links are available at gogryphons.com on the men's basketball schedule.