Men's Basketball Loses in Their Return Home to Purchase

CHICOPEE, Mass. - The Elms College Men's Basketball hosted Purchase College in a non-conference matchup Saturday afternoon at Picknelly Arena.

BASICS
Score: Elms College 62 | State University of New York at Purchase 73
Records: Blazers 0-9, 0-0 (GNAC) | Panthers 4-3, 0-0 (SKYLINE)

HOW IT HAPPENED

The game would begin with two big defensive plays by junior forward RJ Mayfield (Springfield, Mass.), after blocking a three-point shot and a making steal, but shortly after, Purchase would be the first to score, taking an early 4-0 lead. Elms would get on the board after senior guard/forward Aaron Sanchez (the Bronx, N.Y.) would draw a foul and make both free throw attempts, followed by a layup by junior guard Aden Goffe (New Haven, Conn.) to tie the game. The Panthers would momentarily regain the lead after a tip-in, but a free throw and a jump shot by Goffe, along with a three-point shot by sophomore guard Andrew Ciaglo (Hadley, Mass.), would give the Blazers an 8-6 lead. Junior forward Adam Sarlan (Chicopee, Mass.) would make a steal that would lead to him making a tip-in shot. Purchase would try to trim down the Elms lead, but the Blazers defense held strong after back-to-back blocks by graduate Neilon Bridgeman (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Goffe, that would lead into a layup by junior center/guard/forward Edgardo Jacob Cancel (Northampton, Mass.). The Panthers would respond by scoring three layups, including a three-point play, and a three-point shot, but Cancel would connect with Goffe for a layup, followed by a pair of free throws by Bridgeman, and a layup by sophomore Lawton Ackah-Yensu (Cape Coast, Ghana) to keep the lead in favor of Elms. Purchase would tie the game 20-20 shortly after, with the assistance of a three-point play and a three-pointer, but a breakaway three-point shot by Ciaglo would bring the lead back to the Blazers, but the Panthers would sink a jump shot on their next possession. The two-sides would contest for possession until a three-point shot by Purchase would take the lead, but a jump shot from senior forward/center Addison Phifer (Hadley, Mass.) would tie the game once again 25-25. The Elms offensive momentum would continue after Sarlan would force a steal would lead to a jump shot by Goffe and Ciaglo found an open Phifer for a three-point shot to extend their lead. As the clock began to wind down towards halftime, senior guard Kishaun Cole (Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.) would find an open Ciaglo for a three-pointer, but the Panthers would rally back to score an unanswered eight points to take the lead, 35-33, going into the halftime break.

Purchase would begin the second half like they ended the first, scoring the first basket on a three-point shot, but Cole would make a steal that led to a tip-in by Sarlan, to bring the game back to within three points. The Blazers defense would put in a strong fight after a steal by Ciaglo and a block from Phifer. Elms would bring the game back to a tie after a three-point shot from Cole and a free throw shot by Ciaglo, but a three-pointer by the Panthers would take back the lead, 42-39. The Blazers would continue to fight back after layups from Bridgeman and Goffe, along with steals recorded by Ackah-Yensu and Goffe. As Purchase continued to add to their lead, Elms would follow closely, with the help of a three-point shot from Goffe, layups by Sanchez, Goffe, and Cole, a jump shot by Bridgeman, and free throws from Cole, including a three-point play from Cole, but the Panthers would spoil the afternoon for Blazers, winning the contest 73-62.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Goffe - 18 points, three assists, two rebounds, a steal, and a block.

• Cole - 11 points, a steal, and an assist.

• Ciaglo - 10 points, two rebounds, two assists, and a steal.

• Bridgeman - six points, two rebounds, a steal, and a block.

• Phifer - five points, five rebounds, an assist, and a block.

• Sarlan - six rebounds, four points, and two steals.

• Sanchez - eight rebounds and four points.

• Cancel - two points, two rebounds, a steal, and an assist.

• Ackah-Yensu - two points, two rebounds, and a steal.

UP NEXT: The Elms College Men's Basketball team will host the Massachusetts College for Liberal Arts in a non-conference matchup on Tuesday, December 10th at 7 pm at Picknelly Arena.

--

For continuing coverage of Elms College Athletics, visit www.ecblazers.com and follow the Blazers on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.