SAINT ROSE ENTERTAINS SOUTHERN N.H. FOR WELCOME BACK STUDENTS DAY

Senior guard Kareem Thomas had 13 points in Wednesday's victory at Merrimack.

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The Plot: The College of Saint Rose is aiming to remain unbeaten at home, while Southern New Hampshire is looking to extend its win streak to four games.

Welcome Back Students Day: Today is "Welcome Back Students Day" along with Sports Bingo presented by Paesan's Pizza and Restaurant. The first 200 students in attendance for the league doubleheader receive a free slice of pizza. Attendees also have the opportunity to play sports bingo throughout today's game.

Last Time Out: Saint Rose rallied from a nine point deficit in the final six minutes and scored at least 80 points for the seventh time this year en route to Wednesday's 82-78 win at Northeast-10 Conference rival Merrimack. The Golden Knights shot 52.9 percent (18-for-34) from the floor and held the Warriors to 37.9 percent shooting (11-for-29) in the second half. Senior center Dominykas Milka went 12-for-16 from the field on the way to his 12th "double-double" of the year. Milka finished with 25 points and 16 rebounds along with five assists. Senior guard Kareem Thomas and sophomore forward Tyler Sayre tossed in 13 points apiece, while sophomore guard Chris Dorgler came off the bench to score nine of his 11 points throughout the second period. Sophomore guard Gelvis Solano wound up with a game-high 28 points and five steals for Merrimack.

Last Meeting (3/6/13): Southern New Hampshire upended Saint Rose 81-62 in the 2013 NE-10 Championship semifinals on its way to the league title. Milka scored a game-high 24 points coupled with six rebounds and three assists for Saint Rose. Sayre contributed 12 points while Andre Pope shot 2-for-3 from beyond the arc to go towards his seven points. The Penmen shot an efficient 53.3 (32-for-60) percent from the field and had five players in double-figures. Sophomore guard Rodney Sanders went 9-for-12 to finish with a team-high 22 points to go along with eight rebounds. Junior forward Elijah Bonsignore pitched in 14 points, four blocks and three steals throughout 24 minutes off the bench. The Golden Knights were within three in the early stages of the second half, but the Penmen outscored Saint Rose 34-18 throughout the final 14 minutes to secure the victory.

The Series: Southern New Hampshire owns a 15-14 lead in the series that dates back to the 1995 NCAA Tournament. The Penmen won both meetings last year, while the Golden Knights won the lone contest the two previous seasons. Host Southern New Hampshire won the first time the two squads met, 113-110 (OT) in a 1995 NCAA Tournament Northeast Regional semifinal. The game has been widely hailed as "One for the Ages".

The Coaches: Saint Rose head coach Brian Beaury and Southern New Hampshire head coach Stan Spirou are two of most renowned mentors in NCAA Division II annals. They are both listed among the top-10 active Division II coaches in terms of victories and have spent 55 years collectively leading their respective programs. They have furthermore won a combined 1,119 games.

Scouting Saint Rose: 8-7 | 5-4 NE-10: Saint Rose is aiming to improve to 7-0 at home…Last Saturday's 85-83 setback at then 16th ranked Franklin Pierce marked the squad's fourth loss by five or less points this season…Saint Rose has also won four games by five or less points…The Golden Knights have shot 50.0 percent or better from the floor seven times in 2013-14…They are 5-2 in those encounters…They have furthermore reached the 80 point plateau seven times and are 6-1 in those contests…Milka continues his climb up the school's record charts…He stands 14th all-time in scoring (1,316) and sixth all-time in rebounding (820)…Milka is one of only five players in program annals to record more than 1,300 points and 800 rebounds…He is currently third in the NE-10 in scoring and paces the league in rebounding with 20.3 points and 12.1 boards per-game…Sayre is eighth among the league's scoring leaders at 17.9 ppg.

Scouting Southern New Hampshire: 8-6 | 6-5 NE-10: Southern N.H. ran its win streak to three games with Tuesday's 73-60 victory against conference rival Pace…The Penmen feature four double-figure point producers…Bonsignore leads the way with 15.7 points per-game thanks in part to 46.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc…Sanders and senior guard Mike Stys produce 14.6 ppg and 13.0 ppg respectively, while junior forward Aleksandar Dobrovic contributes 10.2 ppg…Former Saint Rose All-American Jeff Gore ('93) is in his 21st year as an assistant to head coach Stan Spirou… Gore graduated as the College's all-time leading scorer (1,803) and was inducted into the Saint Rose Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007.

Up Next: Both teams return to conference action this Wednesday, January 22. The Golden Knights will host Saint Michael's for Student-Athlete Academic Appreciation Night presented by Hugh Johnson Advisors. Meanwhile, the Penmen have a 7:30 pm date at Adelphi on Long Island.

Please visit www.gogoldenknights.com for the latest news and results on Saint Rose athletics. Sign up for our SMS text message service to have results sent directly to your cell phone by clicking here. Sign up for our E-Newsletter for the latest news by clicking here and for information on the Golden Knights Club, click here.

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SAINT ROSE ENTERTAINS SOUTHERN N.H. FOR WELCOME BACK STUDENTS DAY