Tweet #gogoldenknights

---

ALBANY, N.Y. – The College of Saint Rose built a 25-point, second half lead and held off a wild New Haven surge to chalk up a 77-73 Northeast-10 Conference victory inside the Daniel P. Nolan Gymnasium this evening.
 
The Golden Knights (5-20/2-14 NE10) shot 54.5 percent (30-for-55) from the floor, including 47.6 percent (10-for-21) from the arc, and outrebounded the Chargers 38-25.
 
"It's a testament to our character and grit to pull one out like this. We have to learn to execute better at the end of games, but with a young group it's always going to be a work in progress, said head coach Mike Perno. "I'm proud of how we stayed the course and kept at it for the entire 40 minutes. It's evidence of our growth."
 
Sophomore forward Sekou Sylla had another dominating performance with 29 points and 15 rebounds for his 19th "double-double" of the year. Senior guard Michael Wearne finished with 12 points, while junior guard Adam Anderson and freshman forward Josh McGettigan added 11 and 10 respectively.
 
Saint Rose took a 12 point, 42-30, lead into the locker room at halftime and was up six, 44-38, with 18:12 left when Wearne knocked down a three and McGettigan nailed a jumper to ignite a 27-8 jaunt that yielded a 71-46 advantage with 9:17 remaining. Two minutes later, Anderson drained one from beyond the arc that made it a 75-53 ballgame with 7:35 left. That also proved to be the Golden Knights final field goal of the night.
 
The Chargers (10-12/8-8 NE10) began chipping away by forcing eight turnovers throughout the final seven minutes. Senior guard Elijah Bailey finished inside to cut the margin to 15, 75-60, with 6:06 left and senior forward Kessly Felizor threw down a put-back dunk with 1:48 remaining that made it a two point, 75-73, affair with 1:15 showing on the clock.
 
Both squads the came up empty on their next three possessions, before Sylla was fouled while pulling down a defensive rebound. He promptly hit both ends of the one-and-one to all but end it as Bailey's last second 3-pointer was off the mark.
 
Junior guard Derrick Rowland led New Haven with 26 points and five assists, while Bailey and Felizor had 19 and 16 respectively.
 
Looking ahead, both squads are back in action for 3:30 pm conference dates Saturday. The Golden Knights head to Long Island to take on Adelphi, while New Haven entertains American International.

---

Notes: The Chargers came into tonight owning the nation's 14th toughest schedule to date as their past opponents owned a 57.7 winning percentage...Sylla continues to lead the NE10 with 12.0 rebounds per game and is second behind a 22.5 scoring average…He is first in the country with his 19 "double-doubles" and stands second in rebounding…He was named to the NE10 weekly honor roll for the seventh time this season on Monday…Anderson is scoring at a 14.3 ppg clip after averaging 17.9 ppg throughout the last eight contests thanks in part to 52.2 percent (24-for-46) shooting from the arc…Freshman swing Cartier Bowman is averaging 10.7 ppg and 7.2 rpg on the year…He is also third in the NE10 with a 58.1 field goal percentage (104-for-179).

---

John Pesce '86 Memorial Award: Senior Nina Fedullo was bestowed this honor following tonight's women's game. The award was established by John's family, friends, and teammates. It is given to a basketball player who embodies his spirit and commitment to team and school. A current men's basketball player and a women's basketball player are recognized with the award alternatively on an annual basis. John graduated from Saint Rose in 1986 with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He was a loyal member of the Golden Knights men's basketball team from 1984-86. In 2015, he passed away following a courageous battle with brain cancer. John is remembered as a loyal teammate, both on and off the court. He had a never-quit attitude, strong work ethic and a love of basketball, which endeared him to not only his teammates and friends, but also his competitors. He furthermore exemplified the core values of being a Saint Rose alumnus by living his life as a motivated and caring citizen.

---

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.