Men's Basketball Unable to Rally in Battle With Purchase on Alumni Day

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Senior Michael Megafu (Jamaica, N.Y./Nazareth Regional) posted his eleventh double-double of the season, but the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's basketball team was unable to rebound from a sluggish second half against Purchase on Alumni Day and Play 4Kay on Saturday, falling 77-64 in a critical Skyline Conference matchup.

The Basics

• Final Score: Purchase 77, St. Joseph's 64
• Records: Purchase (11-9, 9-6 Skyline), St. Joseph's (10-9, 7-8 Skyline)
• Date: January 30, 2016
• Location: Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Arena: The Hill Center
• Starters:
  • St. Joseph's: Murray (G), O'Neill (G), Willis (G), Megafu (F), Archer (F)
  • Purchase: Soffer (G), Grant (G), Pelham (G), Neri (F), Wright (F)

Turning Point

• Never leading in the game, Christian Giles drained a triple with 9:22 remaining to make it 53-46 as the surging Bears flirted with a another second-half comeback. But St. Joseph's was outscored 11-4 in the next 5:39 as the Panthers clamped down reclaim another their double-digit advantage, which they maintained nearly the rest of the way.

How it Happened

• St. Joseph's trailed just 12-11 midway through the first half, but the Panthers ran off 10 consecutive points in a two-minute span to claim their first double-digit advantage at the 7:31 mark.
• Michael Megafu ended the half with a dunk, but the Bears entered the break behind, 33-22.
• Matt O'Neill's triple early into the second stanza finished off a quick 5-0 spurt, making it 37-30 as the Bears began to claw back.
• Purchase responded with a 14-5 run to make it 51-35, claiming their largest lead thus far with 12:27 left to play.
• St. Joseph's answered right back with eight consecutive points powered by a pair of three-pointers from Alec Willis to bring the deficit back to single digits.
• Christian Giles' three-pointer brought the Bears within seven, 53-46, with 9:22 remaining, but the Panthers outscored St. Joseph's 24-18 the rest of the way to fend off a comeback.

For the Bears

• Senior Michael Megafu secured his 11th double-double of the season, tied for the league lead, finishing with a season-high 24 points to go along with 15 boards and four blocks.
• Sophomore Alec Willis' four triples accounted for all 12 of his points. The sophomore added four rebounds and a pair of helpers.
• Senior Matt O'Neill filled the stat line with 11 points, seven caroms and five assists.
• Junior Christian Giles chipped in eight off the bench on a pair of three-pointers.

For the Panthers

• 7-foot-1 center Joel Neri notched a game-high 25 on 12-of-17 shooting to go along with a dominant 21-rebound effort.
• Nicholas Jackson matched his teammate with 25 off the bench as the duo accounted for more than half of the Panthers' offense.
• Kaliph Grant chipped in seven and dished out a game-best six dimes.

Inside the Box Score

• St. Joseph's dug themselves an early hole, shooting just 29 percent (9-31) in a 22-point first half and never led in the contest.
• The Bears picked up the pace in the second and ended the game at 36.2 percent (21-58) from the field, while the Panthers finished a more efficient 43.9 percent (29-66).
• St. Joseph's connected on 10-of-31 (32.3%) from downtown, including seven in the second half as they attempted to claw back.
• Led by Neri, Purchase outrebounded the Bears 44-34 and held a significant 44-18 advantage scoring inside the paint.

The Bear Facts

• Seventh place St. Joseph's fails to make up ground in the Skyline Conference standings, falling below .500 (7-8) and remaining one spot out of playoff contention. They now sit a full game behind Mount Saint Vincent in sixth place and scheduled to visit the Hill Center on Monday.
• The Panthers extend their lead to 7-5 in the all-time series, earning a season sweep following their dramatic 71-70 home victory on January 4.

Next up for St. Joseph's

Looking to snap a two-game skid, the Bears host the College of Mount Saint Vincent at The Hill Center on Monday, February 1 for another crucial Skyline Conference faceoff. The men tip off at 7 p.m. to cap off a doubleheader with the women. Live stats and video will be available at SJCBears.com.