BROOKLYN, N.Y. – First-year Cameron Windt scored a game-high 20 and the Pratt Institute men's basketball team wiped out a double-digit second-half deficit, but succumbed to Purchase College, 61-55, on Tuesday evening at the Activity Resource Center.
Windt shot 6-of-14 from the field and 4-of-9 from three-point land to pace three in double-figure scoring for Pratt (2-4). Patrick O'Gorman following with 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting with three triples and five boards. Jaden Young contributed 10 points off the bench with three dimes. Quinn McCormick turned in a solid effort with six points and pulled down a game-best 13 rebounds.
Isaac Johnson led Purchase (2-2) with 15 points and six rebounds and Matthew Phillips recorded the game's lone double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Pratt took an early 6-2 lead courtesy of back-to-back triples from O'Gorman and Windt. The Cannoneers led for most of the opening 13 minutes before the visitors closed out the final seven minutes on a 13-2 run to build the largest separation of the contest heading into the lockers up, 32-20.
The Cannoneers fought hard in the second stanza to maintain a single-digit deficit. A 10-2 spurt over 3 minutes powered by six from Windt and four from Young whittled a 40-30 deficit down to two with 11:56 to play. Pratt remained within reach over the next sven minutes before a 5-0 run capped by an O'Gorman transition trey from a steal and feed from Windt put Pratt up 49-48, their lone lead of the second stanza.
The Panthers countered with a triple on the other end and responded with an 8-2 lead to remain on top for good. Pratt kept it a one-posession game for the final two minutes, but couldn't close the gap and the visitors sealed the game from the free throw line in the bonus.
Pratt held the Panthers to sub-30 percent shooting (21-73) while connecting on 35 percent (19-54) and remaining a perfect 10-of-10 from the charity stripe. The Cannoneers also won the battle of the boards, 48-40, but the visitors made the most of 23 offensive rebounds for a 16-9 edge in second-chance scoring. Despite being plagued by a 30-11 turnover discrepancy, the Panthers were unable to punish the Cannoneers holding just a 17-15 advantage in points off turnovers.
Pratt returns to the ARC floor after the Thanksgiving break, hosting Bryn Athyn College on Monday, November 27 for a 7 p.m. tip.
