NEW YORK, N.Y. - The SUNY Old Westbury Panthers opened their season tonight with a game against the John Jay College Bulldogs. The Panthers fell short to the Bulldogs by a final score of 82-63. 
 
This game was the first collegiate action for many on Old Westbury's roster and the first game in OW green and white for several transfer student-athletes. To highlight the bunch, Aiddan Smith recorded his first collegiate basket tonight.
 
Throughout the first half, the Panthers struggled to shoot the ball effectively, only connecting on two attempts from behind the arc, and 11 total field goals. The Panthers outshot the Bulldogs behind the three-point arc in the first half. Elijah Canady led the charge for the Panthers in the first half with seven first-half points, three rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Canady amassed a total of 18 points throughout the whole game. 
 
As the second half came around, the team connected on 40% of field goals and 33.3% of their three-point attempts. Jordan Johnson-Radar had the hot hand and scored nine second-half points, as well as four rebounds and an assist. 
 
Some other notable Panther performances came from Jamari Williams who played well defensively, recording one block, two steals and scored nine points. Additionally, Amadi Lee-Kane had a nice night leading the team in rebounds with a total of nine as well as tallying six points. 
 
The Bulldogs' advantage came in the paint as they scored a total of 48 points from inside. John Jay also capitalized off of the 29 Old Westbury turnovers, scoring 34 points off turnovers. 
 
Throughout the night, as a team, the Panthers recorded 40 rebounds, 13 assists, three blocks, and seven steals in their first game of the 2023-24 season. 
 
The team will reset and turn attention towards the home opener this Sunday as the Panthers play host to Baruch College. Tip-off is scheduled for 2pm in the Clark Center Gymnasium.