Dec. 10, 2002

Box Score

Garden City, N.Y. - The Adelphi University Men's Basketball team dropped a close game to the NYIT Bears, 77-74, Tuesday night at Woodruff Hall. The Panthers drop to 3-3 on the season and 2-2 in the NYCAC. The Bears improve to 3-1 overall and 3-1 in the NYCAC.

The Adelphi Men had four players scoring in double digits with Wayne Nelson (Absecon, N.J.) leading the way scoring 24 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Thomas McCormack (Breezy Point, N.Y.) scored 16 points and dished out 6 assist, while Sherman Whittenburg (Jamaica, N.Y.) and Juma Allen (S. Ozone Park, N.Y.) both contributed 12 apiece.

NYIT jumped out to the early lead and never looked back. The Bears went into half-time with a 34-24 lead. In the first half the Panthers shot 22.7 percent from the field while NYIT shot 44.8 percent from the field.

Three minutes into the second half the Bears jumped out to a 40-25 lead. The Panthers rallied back with 9:29 remaining with a shot and foul by Sherman Whittenburg, bringing the score to 54-46. Whittenburg hit the free throw bringing the Panthers within seven, 54-47. NYIT countered with a three pointer by Kendell Holloman to put the lead back to 10.

The final run by the Panthers came with a 1:32 remaining when they closed the lead to three, by a three pointer by McCormack. Holloman of the Bears once again countered hitting a running floater down the lane to push the lead back to five. With 15 seconds remaining in the game McCormack fouled Manix Aurianthal of NYIT sending him to the line for two. Aurianthal hit both free throws pushing the Bears ahead, 76-70. A last minute three by Nelson was good for the Panthers, but too late as the NYIT Bears went on to win 77-73.

Kendell Holloman (Bronx, N.Y.) led the NYIT Bear with 25 points and four assist, followed by Patrick Tunstead (Sydney, Australia) with 16 points and two blocks.

Adelphi finished the game shooting 37.3 percent from the field while the NYIT Bears shot 49.1 percent.

The loss snapped the Panthers 28 home-win streak, the second longest in the nation. The last regular season home loss for Adelphi came at the hands of Molloy College, 61-69, on February 20, 1999.

Next up for the Panthers is UMASS-Lowell at Lowell, Massachusetts; game time is 7:00 p.m.