Colchester, Vt. - A fourth-quarter run by the Saint Michael's College Purple Knights stunned the Adelphi University women's basketball team on Saturday afternoon, as the Panthers were handed their third straight defeat, 83-81.

An 11-0 run for the home team flipped the game on its head late in the fourth quarter, as a 77-71 lead for Adelphi (8-9, 5-5 NE10) with 3:17 to go turned into a 82-77 deficit with under a minute to play.

Julia Strachan connected on a deep three with just 45 seconds on the clock, capping a mammoth 20-point performance in the second half, to make it a one possession game, and after a big defensive stand, the Brown and Gold had a chance to take the lead down the other end with just about 30 seconds to play.

However, the Panthers couldn't get a clean look at the basket, and though Niajah Morgan was fouled on a desperation drive to the basket, the senior guard connected on just one of two at the line with just seven seconds to play. After Saint Michael's' Nicole Anderson made one of two from the line and the Panthers out of timeouts, Morgan was unable to advance the ball past half court before the horn sounded. 

The Panthers came out of the gates strongly, as they connected on 50 percent of their shots in the first five-plus minutes, including three triples from Stephens to go up 15-6 with 4:47 left in the first. From that point, however, the Purple Knights held the lead for much of the opening half and then some, thanks in part to nearly 70 percent shooting from behind the arc in the first half.

The Purple Knights (6-10, 2-9 NE10) led for all but 16 seconds of the third quarter as well - as the Panthers briefly tied the game at 49-49 when Strachan was fouled from deep and converted all three attempts at the line - before an 11-2 run for Adelphi over the first 2:52 over the fourth helped them wrestle back the lead. 

Strachan posted the game's high in scoring in just 15 bench minutes in the second half, as she played just four minutes over the first 20 minutes after picking up two fouls, while Morgan flirted with a triple-double behind 16 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. 

Leonie Edringer had a monster afternoon with a season-best 21 rebounds and 19 points for her fourth double-double of the season, after she hauled in 15 misses in the first half, while Fallyn Stephens drained five three-pointers for most of her 17 points.

The Panthers return home to begin the spring semester on Wednesday, Jan. 23 when they host Bentley University, the 16th-ranked team in the latest WBCA Division II national rankings, at 5:30 p.m.

The first 100 fans in attendance will receive a free Adelphi-branded insulated cup as a part of Welcome Back Night, welcoming students back to campus.

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About Adelphi Athletics
A regionally and nationally competitive NCAA Division II institution located in Garden City, N.Y., Adelphi University has been a proud member of the Northeast-10 Conference since 2009.

Winners of 16 NCAA Division II National Championships and four NE10 Presidents' Cups, Panther athletes have excelled at the conference, regional and national level, both on the field of play and in the classroom. In turn, the Adelphi athletic department is committed to fostering an environment of diversity, inclusion, equity and success where its student-athletes can thrive both on campus and off.

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