JAMAICA, N.Y.—Purchase College (5-4) hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to defeat the SUNY Potsdam men's basketball team (6-3) 88-85 in the title game of the York College Invitational. Senior captain Danny Delsol-Lowry (Queens, N.Y./Queens High School of Teaching) matched a career-high with 28 points, while also grabbing nine rebounds. He was named to the all-tournament team. Freshman center Tyrese Baptiste (Brooklyn, N.Y./Eagle Academy II) recorded his fifth straight double-double and seventh of the season with 16 points and 12 boards. Sophomore guard Isaiah Joseph (Harlem, N.Y./Izquierdo Health & Science Charter) finished with 11 points.
 
The Bears looked as if they'd run away with the contest, opening the game with a 19-3 run over the first 5:45. Delsol-Lowry scored 12 of the points, including the first seven, while Baptiste scored the other seven. Potsdam led by as many as 15, but the Panthers chipped away at the lead. A jumper from Kyle Menard got Purchase within seven at 42-35 with 36 seconds to play, but Potsdam sank two free throws and the Bears led 44-35 at the break. Potsdam shot 50-percent from the floor in the first half (14-28), was four-for-nine from 3-point range and outrebounded the Panthers 27-19.
 
Purchase continued to narrow the deficit until Elijah Harris sank a layup at 11:30 to give the Panthers their first lead of the game at 58-57. Freshman guard Brian Pod (Oceanside, N.Y./Oceanside) sparked the Bears with five points in an 8-3 run to give Potsdam a 65-61 lead at 9:03. Purchase countered with an 11-2 run for a 72-67 lead with 4:46 to play. Again the Bears charged back with an 8-0 stretch, including a three from Joseph, and led 75-72 at 2:43. The pattern continued as the Panthers scored nine of the 11 points for an 81-77 advantage with 30 seconds remaining. The last half minute was filled with drama. Delsol-Lowry fought his way to the free-throw line at the 23-second mark and sank both shots to close the gap to two. Purchase's Elijah Lott answered with two good free throws three seconds later to make it 83-79. Delsol-Lowry followed it up by charging down the court to drill a clutch three and make it a one-point game. Purchase called a time out to plan a response. It didn't work. Junior forward Dante Viskovich (Massena, N.Y./Massena) stole the inbound pass and handed it off to Joseph who sank another three at the 10-second mark and gave Potsdam an 85-83 advantage. However, the Bears were called for a technical six seconds later and it was the difference in the game. Lott hit both free throws to tie the score. The Panthers were then awarded the ball and Lott buried a three as time expired to claim the 88-85 victory. Purchase shot a scorching 61.8-percent (21-24) in the second half to counter Potsdam's 53.8-percent average from 3-point range.
 
Junior guards Colby Simpson (Queens, N.Y./Queens High School of Teaching) and Nana Annorh (LeFrak City, N.Y./Newtown) each scored seven points and Viskovich finished with six.
 
Lott had a game-high 32 points along with 10 rebounds for Purchase. Maxx Miller was the only other Panther to reach double digits with 12 points, while grabbing eight boards. Harris and Malco Hansford-Whyte each scored nine.
 
The Bears are now off until they resume SUNYAC play at Jerry Welsh Gymnasium against the College at Brockport at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, January 10.