Bard Can’t Hold Off Purchase Surge

By Pearllan Cipriano

ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON – The Bard College men’s basketball team jumped out to an early edge but couldn’t sustain it, falling 75-57 to Purchase on Saturday afternoon at Stevenson Athletic Center.

The Raptors controlled much of the opening period, using efficient perimeter shooting and steady half-court execution to stay in front. Their strongest stretch came with five minutes left in the first half, tied at 23-23, with a layup by Angelos Bratakos and back-to-back threes from Jalen Umstead. Bard entered halftime with a 29–28 advantage, backed by 60 percent shooting from beyond the arc, and appeared poised to carry the momentum into the second frame.

Bard came out with an 8-3 run to go up 37-31 after four minutes of play in the second half. Purchase kept knocking on Bard’s door as they tied the game up 37-37 in the 15:01 mark.

The Raptors had a 9-2 run to get ahead again with a three from Umstead. The Panthers took the lead at the 9:31 mark and prevented the Raptors from scoring for 2 minutes, until Bratakos stopped the bleed with a layup. With five minutes left, Purchase went on a 12-2 run, and the steal and dunk at 1:52 by the Panthers put the nail in the coffin.

Four of the five starters for Bard were in double-digits, with Lucas Tovar and Umstead leading the charge with a career-high 17 points each. Max Frei contributed with 11 points, while Bratakos finished with 10. Bratakos had a team-high eight rebounds and added two steals. Dimitrios Zampoukas had five rebounds and was tied for the most assists with Tovar, with three assists each.

Bard will compete against Mount Saint Mary and New Paltz for the Hudson Valley Classic next weekend. The Raptors will take on the Knights on Friday at 7:30 p.m., and then the Hawks on Saturday at 6 p.m.