OT Buzzer Beater Sends MSMC Past Purchase

PURCHASE – Sophomore Connor Bacci hit a triple at the horn in the second half to send Saturday’s Skyline Conference game at Purchase to overtime and junior Tyler McDine beat the buzzer in the overtime period to give Mount Saint Mary College and hard fought 99-96 win at Purchase. Six Knights scored in double-figures in the game, led by 22 points from Gerard Nocer.

Mount Saint Mary never led in the game until the overtime period and found itself down by 10 points at the half after Purchase scored nine of the final 11 points of the frame. Following a Connor Nicolson (Staten Island, N.Y.) triple brought the Knights to within 30-27, Purchase ran off the next six points before a Nicolson lay-in with 47 seconds left in the half. A three-point play with one second left in the period from Nikeem Deleon sent Purchase to the intermission with a 39-29 advantage.

The Mount went 11-for-30 from the field prior to the break, hitting five three-point field goals. Nicolson went 3-for-3 from behind the arc on his way to a team-high 11 first half points. Purchase converted at 45.2-percent in the first half, also hitting five triples, with Deleon leading the way with eight points.

Coming out of the break, Purchase outscored the Mount 20-17 over the first 6:56 of the second half to pull in front 59-46 on a Brian Berrios three-pointer. The Panthers would maintain at least a five point lead until a Kendall Francis triple sliced the deficit to 72-20.

The Panthers quickly moved back in front by seven points, but the Knights used a 7-1 run capped by a T.J. Patsalos bucket to move to within a single point with three seconds left in regulation. After a pair of Berrios free-throws pushed Purchase in front 84-81, Bacci canned a triple at the horn to bring the Knights even for the first time in the contest.

The Knights scored 55 points in the second half and shot 51.2-percent from the floor and knocked in eight three point field goals, capped by the equalizer from Bacci. Nocera scored 16 seconds half points with Patsalos and Daniel Wolff combing for 22 points.

Mount Saint Mary took its first lead of the game on a three-point play from Bacci with 3:52 left in the extra session and gained its largest advantage, a five point bulge, on a pair of Patsalos free-throws with 2:44 left in the period.

Purchase pulled to within one on a Michael Soffer triple with 40 seconds left and after a pair of McDine free-throws tied the score at 96-96 on a Kalyn Credle triple with five seconds left. On the ensuing possession, McDine played the hero with his second three-pointer of the season, giving the Mount consecutive wins to open the conference slate.

Both of McDine’s triples this season came on Saturday as he finished with 10 points, four rebounds and four assists. Bacci went 3-for-3 from bonus distance as he matched his career-high with 13 points against the Panthers.

Nocera poured in a season-high 22 points on 8-for-18 shooting, adding seven rebounds and a career-high five assists. Wolff finished with 14 points and Patsalos contributed 16 tallies with each player hauling in nine rebounds. Nicholson finished with 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting in the win.

For the game, Mount Saint Mary shot 45.5-percent from the floor and a blistering 56-percent from three-point range. The Knights misfired on just one free-throw attempt in the game and outscored the Panthers by 11 in second chance opportunities.

Saturday’s win moves Mount Saint Mary to 3-2 overall on the season and to a perfect 2-0 in league play.