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Chris Dougherty and Brady Burman MBB 2023-24
56
Purchase SUNYPC 13-11,7-8 Skyline
60
Winner Sarah Lawrence SLC 13-11,10-5 Skyline
Purchase SUNYPC
13-11,7-8 Skyline
56
Final
60
Sarah Lawrence SLC
13-11,10-5 Skyline
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Purchase SUNYPC 22 34 56
Sarah Lawrence SLC 27 33 60

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Zach Perbeck

Gryphons Hold Off Late Run by Panthers; Move Atop Skyline Gold Division with Win

BRONXVILLE, N.Y. - The Sarah Lawrence men's basketball team won their fifth straight game on Wednesday night, defeating the Purchase College Panthers by a score of 60-56 at the Campbell Sports Center.

Top Performers
  • Braden Burman led all scorers with 18 points and added in six rebounds
  • Lucas Murray scored 13 points for SLC while pulling down five rebounds, including three on the offensive end
  • Chris Dougherty totaled a game-high 14 rebounds while also blocking four shots and scoring five points

How it Happened

The Gryphons kicked off the game's scoring with an Eamon Kelly jumper assisted by Andrew Kim, but the Panthers would answer right back with a score from Rashid Nikiema, foreshadowing the back-and-forth affair. Five straight points from Burman and a made free throw by Murray a few minutes later gave the Gryphons the first two-possession lead of the day, but the Panthers would have an answer. Murray would go two-for-two from the line again but an Isaac Johnson triple for Purchase brought the lead down to one point. Dean Furlong would get in on the scoring and Murray would follow suit on the next SLC possession to re-extend the lead to two scores before Murray made his way to the stripe again, knocking down both shots. An Andrew Kim steal on the next Purchase possession led to a fastbreak opportunity for the Gryphons, with the first-year point guard finding Derek Hickman for a dunk on the other end. Another Purchase turnover would give the Gryphons the ball back and Burman would dump the ball off to Dougherty under the basket for another dunk, extending the SLC lead to 11 points. The Panthers would rally, scoring the next nine points to reduce the lead to three points with four-and-a-half minutes remaining in the half. A score by Kim after stealing the ball would stop the run, but after an SLC timeout the Panthers would score on two of their next three possessions to reduce the lead to one point with two minutes left in the half. With a minute and three seconds remaining, Kelly would take a trip to the line, knocking down both shots before a steal by Dougherty allowed Kim to score with 16 seconds left, giving the Gryphons a five-point halftime advantage.

The two teams traded baskets early in the second half, with a three-point play by Murray giving the Gryphons a seven-point lead only to be reduced to four with a Purchase triple on the ensuing possession. Murray would find Burman on the next SLC possession, who would connect from long-range, but the Panthers would step up once again with Nikiema connecting on his own shot from deep. Burman once again decided to take his turn, this time getting a pass from Kim that set up the sophomore for his second triple in the past minute. After trading long-range baskets, the Gryphons found themselves ahead with a seven-point lead and 17 minutes of basketball remaining. Purchase's Matthew Phillips would score the game's next four points but another Burman triple would answer the run and keep the lead at six points. After trading scores, Nikiema would convert on a three-point play for the Panthers to bring the lead down to three. Burman would step up once again, this time finding first-year forward Aiden Morel for a triple to keep the Gryphons ahead. Nikiema would have an answer of his own, scoring again to keep the Panthers in the game, but Morel would step up again, taking a pass from Kelly and connecting from deep. Burman would get his own shot from long range on the ensuing SLC possession, extending the lead to double digits and forcing a timeout. The Gryphons owned a 52-42 lead but with eight minutes remaining there was plenty of time for the Panthers to make a run. 

Two scores by Purchase's Phillips would bookend an Andrew Kim jumper, but it would be a defensive rebound by Dougherty that would start the most important possession of the game. The big man got the ball to Kim, who would return the favor and find the sophomore on the other end of the court for a highlight-reel dunk that would cause the Campbell Sports Center to erupt. The possession would also end with Dougherty at the line in hopes of completing the three-point play. He would connect on his lone free-throw attempt and give the Gryphons an 11-point lead with five minutes remaining. With momentum on the side of SLC, it would actually be Purchase to make a run, scoring the game's next ten points to reduce the lead to one point with 32 seconds remaining. Kelly would knock down his two shots from the line to keep the Gryphons ahead and Burman would go one-for-two to give SLC a four-point lead as Purchase's late rally fell just short.

Up Next

The Gryphons (13-11, Skyline 10-5) will return to action for their 2023-24 regular season finale on Saturday, hosting the Valiants of Manhattanville College for a matchup with heavy playoff-seeding implications. The contest will tip-off at noon following a brief senior day ceremony celebrating the aforementioned Lucas Murray as the team's lone senior.
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