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ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The College of Saint Rose team came back to defeat Daemen 69-66 in tonight's season opener at the Redhawks Classic, hosted by Roberts Wesleyan.
 
Senior guard Ashley Vanderwall, playing in front of a large rooting section, led the Saint Rose come back with a dozen points in the final 5:12 of the fourth quarter. She topped all players with 22 points on  42.8 percent shooting,
 
Junior guard Courtney Clasen tossed in 18 points, while senior guard Isa Vara de Rey added ten.
 
"Daemen is a tough-as-nails team that plays hard and is well-coached," said head coach Karen Haag. "I'm happy that we didn't cave when the momentum turned the other way."
 
The Golden Knights (1-0) started off strong, beginning the non-conference game on an 11-5 run.  Clasen knocked down a pair of treys during the stretch.  Saint Rose made more than 57.0 percent of its first-half 3-pointers to hold a 39-30 halftime lead. The team shot 46.8 percent from the field, including 50 percent from beyond the arc, in the win.

The Wildcats (0-1) would not go quietly, using a 22-7 jaunt spanning 9:54 to hold a five-point lead with 4:12 remaining. From there, Vanderwall took charge, swishing a trio of shots from beyond the arc. The senior's final trey gave Saint Rose a 67-66 advantage with 50 seconds to go. Clasen would increase the lead with a pair of foul shots. Daemen had a pair of chances to tie the score in the last five seconds, but both three-point attempts were off the mark.

The Wildcats, which had three players in double figures, received 19 points from sophomore guard Tiara Filbert.
 
The Tournament concludes tomorrow afternoon. Daemen will play Assumption at 2:00 pm, while Saint Rose will play the host Redhawks at 4:00 pm. Sign up for our E-Newsletter for the latest news by clicking here, and for information on the Golden Knights Club, click here. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.