Men’s Basketball Collects First Win as Peretz Reaches Milestone
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mitchell (1-2,0-0 Great No) | 39 | 42 | 81 |
|
Purchase St. (1-3,0-0 Skyline) | 48 | 21 | 69 |
PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Mitchell College men's basketball team secured its first win of the season on Tuesday night, battling back to take down Purchase College 81-69 in a non-conference showdown.
Aside from being the first win of the season for the Mariners, the game also marked the 300th career victory for Mitchell head coach Todd Peretz, who is currently in his 27th season at the helm of the program.
Purchase controlled the first half and took a 48–39 lead into the break, but the Mariners responded with a dominant second half. Mitchell outscored the Panthers 42–21 over the final 20 minutes, using strong defense and timely scoring to take over the game.
Mitchell grabbed the lead for good midway through the second half when junior Troy Butler (Manchester, Conn.) knocked down a three to put the Mariners ahead 59–58. From that point on, Mitchell controlled the pace on both ends, never surrendering the lead again on its way to the comeback win.
Butler led the comeback with 25 points, including several key baskets that helped shift the momentum early in the second half. Senior Brandon Lee (Stockton, Calif.) added a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while sophomore Abdul Mansaray (Jacksonville, Fla.) contributed 13 points as Mitchell steadily pulled away.
Purchase was led by Trey Skeete, who kept the Panthers in front early with 25 points, including five three-pointers. Desmond Ward and Chris Hunter added 10 points each.
Following four consecutive road games to begin the season, the Mariners (1-3, 0-0 GNAC) will return home on Friday, November 21, for a non-conference showdown against Westfield State University. This opening game of the Cadet-Mariner Classic is scheduled to tip off at 5:30 p.m.
