Purchase College - 75, Farmingdale State - 74
Purchase, N.Y. - The Farmingdale State women's basketball team fell 75-74 to Purchase College in a Skyline Conference match-up on Sunday afternoon in Purchase, N.Y. The Rams dropped to 9-11, 7-5 in conference play with the loss, while the Panthers improved to 14-9, 8-4.
Farmingdale State trailed 36-30 at the break, after a first half which featured five lead changes and six ties. The Rams trailed by seven at the 6:07 mark, forcing three turnovers to tie the score at 30-30. Purchase pulled away just before halftime to hold the six point lead.
In the second, Farmingdale State opened with a 10-4 run over the first three minutes, to tie the game at 40-40. The Panthers scored nine straight points for a 49-40 advantage and would hold the Rams to just five points, leading 54-45 midway through the half.
Farmingdale State chipped away and used a 15-6 run to tie the game at 60-60 on a Christina Merrill (Levittown, N.Y.) three-pointer at 3:37. But the Panthers forged ahead and led by nine (71-62) with 1:16 left to play.
In the final minute, junior guard Nicky Young (Queens, N.Y.) knocked down two three's and three free throws to single-handedly cut the Rams deficit to two, 73-71, with 26 seconds remaining in regulation. Purchase's Alexis Billups made two free throws with two seconds on the clock, putting her team up by four, 75-71.
A Nicky Young three with one second left put the Rams behind by one, but a foul and two missed free throws by Purchase would run off the final second and give the Panthers the conference victory.
For Farmingdale State, Young scored a game-high and season-high 31 points, including 5-of-8 from long range. Senior guard Nikita Green (Roosevelt, N.Y.) finished with 14 points and seven assists, while senior forward Siohban Purvis (Amityville, N.Y.) posted 12 points. Junior forward Lushanta Savadel (Bellport, N.Y.) pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds.
Purchase had four players in double figures, led by Talia Beaulieu with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Elizabeth Osowiecki tallied 16 points, Lineker St. Hilaire had 12 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Jalisa Fields rounded out the leading scorers with 10 points.
The Rams will host NYU-Poly on Thursday, February 14th in their final regular season home game at 6:00 p.m. It will be Senior Night for Green and Purvis.
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