BRONXVILLE, N.Y. - The Sarah Lawrence men's basketball team matchup up with Oberlin College for the first time in program history on Saturday, playing the nightcap of SLC's 2025 Homecoming Basketball Doubleheader. The Gryphons battled back from multiple double-digit deficits before the Yeomans took a 72-62 victory.

Notable Performers

• Sophomore Thomas Matonti posted his third career 20-point performance, leading all players
• Andrew Kim scored 14 points while handing out five assists and grabbing six boards
• Chris Dougherty blocked three shots while assisting five teammates and scoring seven points

How it Happened

Oberlin opened strong, pushing ahead 13-4 before Sarah Lawrence found its rhythm. The Gryphons responded with a composed stretch sparked by Matonti's first two triples of the game and a transition finish from Elias Flaim to cut the margin to 27-17. After two free throws each by Matonti and Gabe Downes, the Gryphons reduced the Oberlin lead to single-digits. SLC closed the half with a Dougherty triple and a Kyle Jefferson layup, giving the Gryphons some momentum despite Oberlin's final tip-in giving the visitors a 41-29 lead at the break.

The Gryphons made their biggest push early in the second half, erupting for a 10-0 run that reshaped the game. Kim drilled a three off a defensive stop, then scored at the rim before hitting from distance for eight straight points. Matonti buried a three after an Oberlin timeout, bringing SLC within two points and sending the Campbell Sports Center into a frenzy. After Oberlin briefly steadied itself, both Braden Burman and Jefferson scored to keep the defecit at just two points. The Yeomans took six straight points to re-assert a multi-possession advantage, and scores from Matonti, Burman and Kim kept the hosts within 10 points. A second-chance score by the visitors gave them a double-digit lead with 5:21 to play, but Matonti would get fouled from behind the three-point line and convert all three opportunities from the line to bridge the gap. Another score by Dougherty brought the Gryphons within five, but the visitors would string together eight straight points to re-establish a double-digit advantage. Burman, Kim and Matonti would all score in the final few minutes, but the lead would be too large and the visitors would escape Bronxville with a win.

Up Next

The Gryphons (1-2) will return to action on Wednesday, November 19th as they head to New London, Connecticut for a matchup with the Coast Guard Academy. The Gryphons will look to return to .500 against the Bears.