(Valhalla, NY) - Sophomore Miles Haughton (Mamaroneck, NY/Mamaroneck HS) scored a game-high 27 points, and added eight rebounds, three assists, and three steals, and sophomore Joe Zayer (West Nyack, NY/Clarkstown South HS) scored 21 points and had a game-high four assists, but the Westchester Community College Men's Basketball team dropped a 73-70 battle to Region XV-leading Sullivan Community College on Thursday night at Viking Gymnasium. With the loss, Westchester falls to 15-8 overall, and 4-3 in Region XV and Mid-Hudson Conference play. Westchester needs a win on Saturday when they host Rockland Community College to clinch the #2 seed for the upcoming Region XV Championships.

Westchester controlled play for a huge stretch of the game, jumping out to an 8-2 lead during the first six minutes, before Sullivan battled back to briefly take the lead, 15-14 with 9:42 to play in the first half. Later, a Jon Brennen (Irvington, NY/Iona Prep) three pointer with 5:18 to play in the first half began a 10-2 Viking run to put WCC up 35-23 with 2:17 to play in the first half. Westchester led 38-29 at halftime, as the Vikings shot 42% during the opening stanza, compared to 33% by Sullivan.

However, the second half saw a major swing as Westchester shot only 24% over the final 20 minutes, compared to 47% by Sullivan, allowing the Generals (18-5, 7-0 Region XV) to make the comeback. A Haughton three-pointer with 13:35 to play gave the Vikings a 48-41 lead, and a Zayer three-pointer with 11:24 to play gave Westchester a 53-47 lead, but a 13-4 Sullivan run gave the Generals a 60-57 lead with 5:50 to play. Sullivan led by as many as six points, 68-62 with 3:14 remaining, but Westchester had one last run. A Zayer three-pointer with seven seconds to play made it a 71-70 game, but Westchester would get no closer, and the Vikings' four-game winning streak came to an end.

Brennen scored 12 points and added five rebounds, while Nathan Emanuel (Suffern, NY/Suffern HS) added four points and seven rebounds.

Overall, Westchester shot 33%, compared to 40% by Sullivan, and the Vikings were out-rebounded 54-41.

Westchester returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 16 when the Vikings welcome Rockland CC for their biggest game of the year. The game will begin at 2:00 p.m.