OLD WESTBURY, NY – The SUNY Old Westbury men's basketball team fell to the Wolves of Western Connecticut State University by a final score of 86-67, on Tuesday night at home. 
 
The Wolves got out of the gate early and built up a comfortable lead. As the Wolves began to pull away towards the midway point in the first half, the Panthers managed to cut it to an eight-point deficit.  WestConn would then get hot and pull away with a 14-point lead over the Panthers going into halftime. 
 
The Panthers would not take the lead at any point in the second half. With that said, OW was only outscored by five in the second half. The Panthers got some help from the bench throughout the half, specifically with a big three-pointer from Elijah Canady, who came directly off the bench and converted the shot. 
 
Old Westbury struggled to defend effectively, and the team found themselves in the bonus early in both halves with many players finding themselves in foul trouble.
 
Despite the challenges as a team on the night, there were several impressive individual performances from the Panthers. 
 
To highlight a few, Amadi Lee-Kane had himself a night in the scoring column and led both teams in points. He recorded 31 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and a steal. He nailed three of four three-point shots, shooting 75 percent from behind the arc, and hit 12 of 18 shots from the floor. 
 
Another notable performance from the Panthers came from Jamari Williams who had 10 points and four boards. Additionally, Williams had three steals. 
 
The Panthers struggled across the board to keep up with the ongoing pressure from the Wolves throughout the night. The team notably had trouble avoiding turnovers, as the Panthers committed a total of 22 turnovers. The Wolves strategically brought heavy pressure in the backcourt on almost every OW possession, trapping the Panthers and allowing them to score easily baskets off of steals. The Wolves capitalized and scored 20 of their points off of turnovers. 
 
As a team, the Panthers shot the ball 45 percent from the floor, 36 percent from behind the arc, and 56 percent from the free throw line. 
 
The team will regroup and work to try and pick up their first win of the year. The Panthers turn their focus towards their next opponent, Salve Regina, who they will play this Saturday, December 2, on the road. Tip-off is set for 3pm.