Nov. 29, 2006

Box Score

Garden City, N.Y. - Adelphi senior Samuel Jenkins (Brooklyn, N.Y.) made two crucial plays to send the game into overtime and then to secure a second overtime period but it was not enough as the Panthers fell to visiting NYIT, 92-85. The loss drops Adelphi to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in the East Coast Conference, while NYIT improves to 2-3 overall and 1-0 in conference play.

Adelphi and NYIT exchanged the lead four times in the opening four and a half minutes of action, before the Panthers used a, 8-0 spurt over the span of a minute and a half to take a, 16-8 lead with 13:54 left in the first. The Bears responded by outscoring Adelphi 22-13 over the next 11 minutes, capped by a Phillip Jones lay-up that gave NYIT their first lead, 30-29, since the 16:57 mark.

However, Adelphi scored the last four points of the half, courtesy of a Donnell Cummings (South Ozone Park, N.Y.) three-pointer and a Mike Mosby (Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) jumper to carry a 34-30 lead into the intermission.

The Panthers came out of halftime hot, using a 16-7 run to take a commanding 50-37 lead with 13:28 to play. But, the Bears would not go away quietly and kept chipping away at the lead, cutting it to just two, 64-62 with 1:50 remaining in the game.

Two Mosby free throws put Adelphi back up four, but a Truman Montgomery three-pointer brought the margin down to one point with 1:08 on the clock. Bryant Lassiter converted two free throws to give NYIT the lead with just 44 ticks left, but a Jenkins free throw sent the game into overtime, 67-67.

NYIT jumped out to a quick six-point lead, 73-67, thanks to back-to-back three-pointers from Lassiter and Kirk Stewart. Adelphi battled back, getting five points from Kimani Blaize (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and two from Sky Khaleel (Queens, N.Y.) to cut the Bear advantage to just two with 2:04 to play.

The game remained 75-73 in favor of the Bears until Jenkins converted a lay-up with three seconds left on the clock to send the game into a second extra period.

In the second overtime Adelphi struck first, taking a two point, 77-75 lead on another Jenkins lay-up. NYIT responded by scoring the next nine points to take control of the game 84-77 with 1:34 left. Adelphi would pull within five on the next possession, but that is as close as they would get the rest of the way, falling 92-85.

Lassiter led the Bears with a game-high 41 points, he also picked up six rebounds, made five steals and added three assists. Jones chipped in a double double, scoring 14 points and pulling down a game-high 16 rebounds. Montgomery and Miguel Pierre Fanfan also reached double-figures, adding 12 and 10 points each.

Adelphi placed five players in double-figures, led by Blaize who scored 20 points and added five assists, five steals and five rebounds. Khaleel also had a strong game, posting his first double double in an Adelphi uniform with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Jenkins chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds, while Mosby contributed 18 points and eight boards. Cummings also reached double-digits with 12 points.

The Panthers return to action on Saturday, December 2 when they travel to Bronxville, New York for a 5:00 pm meeting with Concordia.