Feb. 7, 2009

Box Score

Garden City, N.Y. - The Adelphi University men's basketball team played host to East Coast Conference rival NYIT on Saturday, February 7. The Panthers held the Bears to just 32 percent shooting in the first half, building a 35-27 halftime lead that would become a 77-69 win. With the victory Adelphi improves to 14-7 overall and 8-4 in ECC play, while NYIT falls to 11-10 overall and 6-6 in the conference.

The first half was a back and forth affair with the lead changing hands often, however with the score knotted at 20 a Steffon Farley jumper sparked a 10-1 Adelphi run. An Alvin Vivican triple capped the run, which lasted four minutes and gave the Panthers a nine point cushion, 30-21 with 2:46 left in the half.

NYIT managed to pull within six points on two occasions in the final two minutes of the half, including with 1:17 left, but a Richard Byrd off balance jumper pushed the edge back to eight, 35-27, which is how the first half would end.

Adelphi continued to lead in the second half as a Sky Khaleel lay-up gave the Panthers a nine point lead, 43-34, with 17:18 on the clock. NYIT answered with a Carl Kindburg three and then Bryant Lassiter reeled off 12 straight points for the Bears, giving NYIT a 49-47 lead with 13:01 on the clock.

Over the next eight minutes the lead would change hands six times as the Bears claimed a two point lead, 60-58, on an Anthony Clarke three with 5:53 remaining. However that is the last lead NYIT would claim as Adelphi closed the game on a 19-9 run to collect a 77-69 victory.

Lassiter led four NYIT players in double figures with 20 points, while Mickell Vickers chipped in 15 points and six rebounds. Clarke and Kindburg notched 12 points each as Kindburg also grabbed seven misses.

Byrd led the way for Adelphi with a game-high 23 points and added five rebounds, while Vivican scored 14. David Akinyooye sparked Adelphi off the bench with 12 points and six rebounds, while Mike McDuffie nothced 10 points.

Adelphi returns to action on Wednesday, February 11 when they play host to St. Thomas Aquinas at 7:30 pm in Garden City, New York.