KING'S POINT, N.Y. - The Sarah Lawrence men's basketball team took down the United States Merchant Marine Academy by a score of 75-53 on Wednesday night. The Gryphons shot 40% from deep while scoring 36 paint points and getting 27 points from the bench as they took down the Mariners and moved to 8-1 in conference play.

Notable Performers

• Andrew Kim led a balanced offensive attack with 12 points and four assists
• Braden Burman added in 11 points while knocking down a pair of triples
• Gabe Downes continued a strong 2026 with nine points

How it Happened

The Gryphons fell behind early as the hosts took an 11-3 lead, forcing an SLC timeout just over five minutes into the contest. Thomas Matonti connected on a triple right out of the timeout, starting a 12-5 run fueled by four SLC three-pointers. Matonti added a second while Eamon Kelly and Downes connected from range to cap the scoring run. After the streak, the Gryphons trailed by just one point, with a jumper by Downes a minute later tying the contest at 17 with under ten to play in the half. The Mariners regained the lead momentarily, but Downes went two-for-two from the stripe before a Chris Dougherty dunk gave SLC their first lead of the day with 6:42 remaining. USMMA answered, but Kelly got to the line for three shots, hitting the trio and putting the visitors back on top. The free throws started a quick 11-2 run for the Gryphons, as Dougherty, Kelly and Kim all converted from the field and the team carried a nine-point advantage into the final four minutes. Downes connected on two more free throws, while Dougherty scored on a second-chance opportunity and Kim converted in the waning seconds to give the team a 12-point advantage heading into the intermission.

The Gryphons blew the lead open to start the second, as Kim converted in the paint before a Burman triple and a transition score by Kelly put the team up by 19. Kim and Burman continued to keep the Gryphons on top, with a three-point play by the latter and a combination of scores and timely assists from the former. John Kairouz benefited from a Kim assist, putting the team up by 21 five minutes into the second half. The senior later benefited from a Noah Elovitz-Fields assist before the junior found himself a score on a second-chance score by the Gryphons. The visitors stayed on top thorughout the final stretch, with a Mason Meyers triple and a second-chance score by Gavin Wright keeping the team comfortably ahead through the final whistle.

Up Next

The Gryphons (11-7, Skyline 8-1) will return to action on Saturday as they host the Maritime Privateers for a noon matchup in Bronxville. The team will then head to Farmingdale State on February 4th as they take on the Rams before a Senior Day matchup with Mount Saint Vincent on February 7th.