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ALBANY, N.Y.- The College of Saint Rose earned an 84-77 Northeast-10 Conference victory over visiting Franklin Pierce tonight behind an all-around performance of 27 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists by junior guard Becca Townes.

Townes was one of four players to finish in double-figures for the Golden Knights, with sophomore forward Naeva Rene recording 14 points alongside 11 points each from junior forward Shamim Wambere and fifth-year forward Nina Fedullo. Additionally, Fedullo hauled in 10 rebounds to round out a "double-double" effort.

Freshman guard Ryley Blasetti finished with eight points and nine rebounds, and sophomore guard Isabel Sanchez added seven points for Saint Rose (4-15/3-12 NE10).

Townes converted a driving lay-up at the halftime buzzer to cap a first half in which the Golden Knights shot 53.1 percent (17-of-32) from the field. Townes' bucket gave Saint Rose 13 of the final 19 points in the opening half to help the Golden Knights claim a 42-31 advantage after the first two quarters.

Saint Rose extended the margin to 16 in the middle stages of the third before taking a 63-48 lead into the final quarter, with Townes sparking the Golden Knights with 10 points in the frame.

Franklin Pierce (10-10/6-8 NE10) steadily chipped away at the deficit in the middle of the fourth, eventually drawing to within four at 68-64 with 4:17 remaining. Following the Franklin Pierce rally, Townes and Fedullo combined to score six straight points to push the Saint Rose difference back into double-digits. 

The Ravens continued to fight down to the final minute, using an 8-0 run to bring the 80-69 Saint Rose lead down to three points with 0:23 seconds remaining. However, four straight free throws by the Golden Knights eliminated the late threat to secure the victory.

Aggressive on offense throughout the night, the Saint Rose team tallied season-highs in points (84), field goal percentage (49.1 percent), and points in the paint (48). Additionally, the Golden Knights excelled from the free throw line, making 26-of-33 attempts (78.8 percent).

Senior guard Lisa Sulejmani led Franklin Pierce with 20 points, while senior guards Emma Carter and Rylee Skinner each scored 14 points in the setback. Saint Rose was able to control the glass and limit any additional Raven possessions, finishing with a 47-32 advantage in the rebound column.

Up next, the Golden Knights stay in Nolan Gymnasium to welcome Southern Connecticut State on Saturday at 1:30 pm.  Franklin Pierce travels to Manchester, N.H. to face Saint Anselm for a 5:30 pm conference match-up on Wednesday night.

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Notes: The young Saint Rose roster features eight freshmen, four sophomores, three juniors, and one fifth-year…Fedullo averages 10.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game, with the latter mark tying her for fifth in the NE10…Townes scores 9.6 points and pulls down 4.3 boards per game...She also ranks fifth and 11th in the league respectively with averages of 2.1 steals and 2.9 assists per game…As a team, the Golden Knights are third in the conference with 8.9 swipes on a nightly basis.

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#Play4Kay: The Golden Knights women's basketball team is partnering with the Kay Yow Cancer Fund through the 2022 Play4Kay National Free Throw Challenge. You can support the team by pledging for every free throw they make during the month of February. For more information on this campaign, please visit HERE.

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NE10 Postseason Changes: The NE10 has announced new dates and formats for the upcoming Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball and Ice Hockey Championships, scheduled for late February and early March. Full details can be found HERE.

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