Box Score Boxscore

PATCHOGUE, NY (www.oldwestburypanthers.com) – The SUNY College at Old Westbury men's basketball team dropped a 49-48 decision on the road against the St. Joseph's-L.I. Golden Eagles on Tuesday evening at the Danzi Center. Old Westbury moved to 15-6 overall and 13-3 in conference action with the loss while the Golden Eagles improved to 13-8 and 13-4, respectively. 

St. Joseph's-L.I. jumped out to an early 8-2 lead with 15:05 to start the game. Old Westbury went into a nine-point hole with 7:36 remaining, down 18-9 off a back-to-back dunks by Laurent Olivier and Sean Hyde. Old Westbury responded with a 12-0 run to end the half off three-pointers by Hakiem George, Shane DeNully, Jason Kondra and then George against with 2:31 left on the first half clock gave the Panthers a 21-18 lead at the half.
 
Old Westbury started the second half shooting 3-of-11 from the field, falling behind 29-28 with 12:13 left. The Panthers regrouped and scored 11 of the next 14 points, pulling ahead 39-32 at the 7:22 mark. Old Westbury had plenty of chances to score the victory. They took their biggest lead with 6:53 remaining, 42-32, on a three-point play by Lester Prosper. Seven seconds later a foul by Jeff Barrett was the beginning of the turnaround for St. Joseph's-L.I. The Golden Eagles answered with successful trips to the line from Chris Jimenez and Mike Crisci to cut the deficit to six. 

A jumper from Bill Reese gave Old Westbury a 44-36 lead with 6:15 remaining. St. Joseph's-L.I. started a nine-point run off a trey by Matt Weeks while holding Old Westbury scoreless from 6:15 until 1:58, taking a 45-44 lead. Reese grabbed an offensive board and tallied two points off a jumper to put Old Westbury back on top, 46-45. Olivier Laurent responded with a jumper of his own to give St. Joseph's-L.I. the lead with 1:31 left. Shane DeNully converted a pair of free throws with 32 ticks left on the clock. Lester Prosper committed a foul with 18 seconds remaining, which sent Olivier Laurent to the line, sinking the game winning free throws. Shane DeNully had a chance to win the game but his shot was blocked by Sean Hyde with one second as St. Joseph's-L.I. sealed the victory. 

Hakiem George paced Old Westbury with 13 points and two steals. Lester Prosper recorded a double-double, combining 10 points and 18 rebounds in 25 minutes of action. Kristopher Afum chipped in with seven rebounds. 

Mike Crisci led the Golden Eagles with 14 points, nine rebounds and six steals. Sean Hyde followed with 13 points, seven rebounds and three steals. 

Both teams struggled shooting the ball. Old Westbury shot 27.4 percent (17-of-62), including 30.8 percent (4-of-13) from beyond the arc and 55.6 percent (10-of-18) from the line while St. Joseph's-L.I. hit 26.5 percent (13-of-49) from the field, 12 percent (3-of-25) from long distance and 71.4 percent (20-of-28) from the stripe. Old Westbury held the 51-41 advantage in boards, including 22-12 off the offensive glass. Those 22 offensive rebounds for Old Westbury were turned into 16 second chance points. Old Westbury's defense forced 16 turnovers, leading to 15 points while St. Joseph's-L.I. scored 13 points off 17 Panther miscues.

FARMINGDALE STATE NEXT FOR THE PANTHERS: Old Westbury will remain on the road for Thursday's Skyline Conference battle with the Farmingdale State Rams at the Walter A. Lynch Sports Center. Panthers and Rams tip at 8 p.m. in Farmingdale, New York. Old Westbury needs your Panther Pride on the road at Thursday's WBCA Pink Zone game. Fans are encouraged to wear pink to support Breast Cancer Awareness. In an effort to raise money for the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund, a $2 donation will be required at the door. Please visit www.oldwestburypanthers.com for more information on women's basketball or any of the other Panther athletic teams.