PURCHASE, N.Y. — The St. Joseph's University, N.Y. – Brooklyn women's basketball team was narrowly defeated by Purchase College, 72-74, on Saturday afternoon.

How it Happened

The Bears led for much of the first quarter, leading by as many as five. Mercedes Perez's (San Antonio, Texas) 10 points in the period saw SJBK possess a 21-20 edge. The Panthers drained a triple to begin the second period and held the lead for all but 49 seconds of the quarter, finishing the half with a 42-34 advantage.

Nikki Grech (Northville, Mich.) and Aaniya Telford (Brooklyn, N.Y.) paced the Bears in the third behind a combined-10-point effort, reducing the deficit to 56-50 at the end of three. Purchase rebounded to lead by 12 at the 5:36 mark of the fourth, the largest advantage of the afternoon.

Late three-pointers from Perez and Jasmine Chan-Clayton (Melbourne, Australia) cut the deficit to 68-65 with 3:20 remaining. The final 2:35 saw both teams exchanging points from the free-throw line. Grech sank three consecutive free throws to tie the game at 70 with 48 seconds left. After a brief PC lead, Domenika Sanchez (Guayaquil, Ecuador) evened the score once more before a pair of free throws with six seconds remaining secured the win for the hosts.

For the Bears

• Perez fueled the offense with a game-best 29 points while shooting 50 percent from three-point range. She also had five rebounds, as many steals, and four assists.

• Shooting 6-of-13, Grech totaled 15 points and was a rebound short of a double-double. 

• Chan-Clayton and Shanna Bliss (Astoria, N.Y.) each had six points with the latter chipping in a pair of rebounds.

Up Next 

The Bears travel to Newburgh to face Mount Saint Mary College on Tuesday, December 10 at 6 pm.