Box Score SYRACUSE – The College of Saint Rose men's basketball team outscored host Le Moyne College 17-9 over the last eight minutes to walk away with a 67-58 Northeast-10 Conference victory tonight at Ted Grant Court. The Golden Knights also clinched the inaugural 'Upstate Challenge' by picking up half a point following a split of the regular-season series between the two clubs.

Sophomore guard Kareem Thomas led a balanced attack that featured three Saint Rose (4-16/4-12 NE-10) players in double-figures. Thomas tied his career-high with 20 points via 8-of-13 shooting from the floor. Senior forward Brian Hanuschak wound up with 17 points and nine boards, while fellow senior forward Sheldon Griffin added 13 points.

Le Moyne (11-9/7-9 NE-10) also had three players reach twin-digits led by sophomore guard Nate Champion and sophomore center Jim Janson. The duo each tossed in 16 points, while junior guard Gamal Mohamed contributed 11 points.

The Golden Knights broke open a 50-49 ballgame with a decisive 10-3 run to assume control. Thomas drove home a 3-pointer to get things started and then knocked down a jumper on the next Saint Rose possession. Sophomore forward Dominykas Milka then sandwiched a free throw by Hanuschak with a pair of jumpers to give the Golden Knights a 60-52 cushion with 4:26 to go.

Janson responded with a dunk and hit a pair at the foul line to whittle the Dolphins' deficit to four, 60-56, with 3:21 on the clock. However, Saint Rose made a living at the free throw line and earned several defensive stops down the stretch to put things away. Junior guard Anthony Robustiano knocked down four in a row and Thomas went 1-for-2 at the stripe throughout the final minute. The Golden Knights also held Le Moyne to just one field goal over the last four minutes.

Saint Rose held a commanding 35-20 edge on the glass, which translated into a 15-5 margin in second chance points. The Golden Knights also shot a blistering 51.0 percent (25-for-49) from the floor, including a 6-for-12 effort from beyond the arc.

Both squads begin the month of February with league games. Saint Rose returns home Saturday where it will play five of its final six games when the Golden Knights host Southern Connecticut State University. The Dolphins travel to Assumption College. Both are set to begin at 3:30 pm.