ALBANY – The College of Saint Rose held visiting Stonehill to 37.3 percent (22-for-59) shooting from the floor and outrebounded the visiting Skyhawks (17-5/12-3 NE-10) by a 41-29 margin en route to a 71-56 Northeast-10 Conference victory this afternoon at the Daniel P. Nolan Gymnasium. In the process, the Golden Knights (10-10/9-6 NE-10) ran their home record to 7-3 on the year and snapped the second place Skyhawks’ nine-game win streak on its annual “Think Pink and Coaches vs. Cancer Day".
Saint Rose donated paid admissions to three different cancer charities; the
Susan G. Komen Foundation, the
V Foundation for Cancer Research and
Camp Bravehearts, an oncology camp for women. Furthermore, Saint Rose President
Dr. R. Mark Sullivan matched the gate receipt total and the campus bookstore donated $1 for each of some 200 “hot pink” sweatshirts it sold during the day to bring the total to more than $4,400.
On the court, sophomore center
Ali Johnson recorded her third “double-double” of the season and junior forward
Amy Voelkel almost had one herself to lead Saint Rose. Johnson finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds to go with a career-high four blocks, while Voelkel had nine points and 14 boards coupled with four assists.
Sophomore guard
Ashley Rath led the Saint Rose scoring parade with 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting from the floor. Senior guard
Elizabeth Buckley finished with 15 points and junior guard
Lynsey Timbrouck handed out six assists to move past Tara Decker (’85-’89) for fifth place (351) on the College’s all-time leader chart.
The Golden Knights were down five, 17-12, midway through the first period when they went on a 21-6 jaunt throughout a six minute span that yielded them a double-digit, 33-23, advantage with 2:55 left until intermission. Timbrouck ignited the run with a jumper, before sophomore guard
Ola Shajuyigbe finished a Timbrouck feed that tied it at 18-18; and following a Stonehill turnover, she canned a trey for three of her nine points that afforded Saint Rose a lead, 21-18, it would not relinquish for the game’s remaining 27 minutes.
Stonehill senior forward Erin Gray opened the second period with a layup that cut the Skyhawks’ deficit to six at 35-29, but the Golden Knights’ sharp long range shooting allowed them to seize control. Buckley knocked down a 3-pointer that made it 38-29 Saint Rose, and then Voelkel and Rath followed suit with two more coupled with a pair of Johnson layups that put the Golden Knights up 13, 48-35, with 15:14 remaining.
Saint Rose then maintained a double-digit advantage for all but two occasions covering a collective three minute span the rest of the way.
Junior guard Emily Rousseau led the Skyhawks with 21 points, while Gray and junior guard Kristen McWhirter added nine apiece.
Looking ahead, both teams have 5:30 pm conference dates Wednesday. The Golden Knights will welcome Assumption to the Capital Region, while Stonehill will host top-ranked Franklin Pierce in Easton, MA.
Box Score;
Think Pink -- Coaches vs. Cancer Photo Galley