When and Where:
January 31, 2026 - Purchase, NY
Records:
St. Joseph's (L.I.), 9-10, 5-5 Skyline
Purchase, 7-13, 5-6 Skyline
Results:
The St. Joseph's University (L.I.) men's basketball team suffered a tough road loss in Skyline Conference action, falling 90-65 to Purchase College.
Top performers:
- Senior Kenny Rodriguez led the Golden Eagles with 25 points (10-14 FG, 5-7 3PT), six rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in 37 minutes
- Junior AJ Esposito posted 13 points (5-10 FG, 3-4 FT), nine rebounds and 1 assist
- Sophomore Corey Sommervil added 13 points (5-9 FG, 2-5 3PT, 1-1 FT) off the bench in 15 minutes
- Junior Jaiden Gaston contributed nine points, two rebounds, and one assist
- Maurice Western paced the Panthers with 23 points (10-15 FG, 2-5 3PT), four assists, and two steals
How it happened:
- Purchase opened hot from deep with early threes from Chris Hunter and Western, but SJLI stayed competitive as Esposito scored inside and Rodriguez hit a three to keep the game within single digits through the first 10 minutes
- In the final five minutes of the first half, Purchase finally began to extend the lead as Western and Trey Skeete hit back-to-back threes and Chris Hunter added another long-range make off a turnover; SJLI committed several costly turnovers in that closing stretch, allowing the Panthers to build momentum and take a commanding 45-26 halftime advantage
- SJLI showed brief life in the second half as Rodriguez drained consecutive threes and Sommervil knocked down a three to cut the deficit to 19 points (36-55), but Purchase answered with a Western finish and a Skeete three in transition to push the lead back over 20
- The Golden Eagles continued to chip away with Rodriguez attacking for jumpers and Esposito scoring inside, trimming the margin to 15 points at one stage (50-65), but the Panthers responded with timely three-point shooting from Skeete and pull-up jumpers from Western to maintain separation
- Purchase continued to capitalize on turnovers and transition opportunities throughout the second half, as the Panthers combined for several quick baskets that kept the Golden Eagles from mounting a sustained comeback
- The Panthers were able to hold on to a 20+ point lead for the remaining five minutes of the game to claim the victory
Notes:
- St. Joseph's shot 41.4% from the field (24-58) and 33.3% from three (8-24)
- SJLI held a 41-31 rebounding edge (14-10 offensive) and scored 28 points in the paint
- Purchase shot efficiently with 18-42 three-point shooting (42.9%)
Up Next:
The Golden Eagles return to action on Wednesday, February 4 when they host Manhattanville for a Skyline Conference matchup starting at 7:30 pm.
