ALBANY – The College of Saint Rose survived a five minute scoring drought in the early stages of the second half to hold off visiting Southern New Hampshire 65-57 in a Northeast-10 Conference game tonight at the Daniel P. Nolan Gymnasium. The Golden Knights outrebounded the Penmen (9-8/5-5 NE-10) by a 14-5 margin from the offensive glass that helped them generate 20, second chance points as opposed to a mere three for their guests.
Sophomore guard
Ola Shajuyigbe went 7-for-11 from the floor and 5-for-7 from the foul line on the way to a season-high 21 points in 26 minutes off the bench for Saint Rose (6-9/5-5 NE-10). She also pulled down seven boards and handed out a pair of assists. Senior guard
Elizabeth Buckley finished with 15 points, while sophomore guard
Ashley Rath tossed in 14.
The Golden Knights led by as many as 14 points throughout the opening 20 minutes and appeared to be in pretty good shape after Rath drained a trey at the onset of the second period that made it 31-18 Saint Rose with 18:26 remaining. However, Southern New Hampshire responded with a 13-0 run that yielded the game’s third tie, 31-31, with 13:45 to go.
Shajuyigbe broke the drought with a jumper from the arc, a conventional three-point play, and a put-back that afforded the Golden Knights an eight point, 41-33, advantage with 10:33 showing on the clock. Sophomore forward
Ali Johnson then twice finished inside and Rath drained a 3-pointer to cap a 17-5 Saint Rose run that put the Golden Knights ahead, 48-36, with 7:04 remaining.
The Penmen pulled back to within three, 51-48, at the 2:49 mark after senior guard Andrea Lozeau finished a fast break and swished the ensuing free throw after being hit. However, Buckley knocked down a 3-pointer at the other end and Saint Rose went 11-for-14 from the stripe throughout the final 2:05 to seal the victory.
Sophomore guard Christine Duffy tossed in 15 of her 17 points after intermission, and also finished with five rebounds and four assists to lead Southern New Hampshire. Senior forward Ashara Carrington wound up with 16 points and five boards as well.
Looking ahead, Saint Rose returns to the road Saturday for a 1:30 pm game at Saint Anselm in Manchester, NH. Southern New Hampshire on the other hand has a 1:30 date at Le Moyne in Syracuse on Sunday.
Box Score