By MAKENNA WILLIAMS
Sports Editor
Men’s Basketball
On Jan. 30, the men’s basketball team faced off against Southern Connecticut at home. Ata Turgut, a junior forward, shot 5-for-5 from outside the arc during a 26-point scoring spree. Additionally, junior guard Tristian Jeffries had a great offensive night with 22 points. In the loss, Jeffries and Turgut each pulled down seven rebounds. The junior, Nuha Sagnia, finished with nine points and a team-high ten rebounds, while freshman guard Louis Daoust finished with 14 points and six rebounds. A rookie guard, Dante Weise, finished with seven points, four rebounds, and six assists. South Connecticut State scored 24 points as a consequence of 17 steals. Off the bench, SCSU defeated Saint Rose 11-0 as well.
On Feb. 7, Four players for the Golden Knights scored in double digits, with Jefferies leading the way with 20 points and seven rebounds. For the Golden Knights, Turgut and Sagnia scored 13 and 10, respectively. Sagnia added two blocks and equaled Jefferies’ seven boards. Daoust scored 11 points on 4 of 5 shots from the field, matching his season-high scoring total. For the Golden Knights, Dante Weise shelled out a game-high eight assists.
On Feb. 10, Jeffries led the team in scoring with 19, three of which came from beyond the arc. The junior forward, Ata Turgut, made 6 of 9 shots for 16 points. Jeffries and Turgut both had five rebounds and two steals in the end. Sagnia ended with a double-double of 12 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, while Boyd III scored 13 points off the bench. Daoust finished with nine points and six rebounds, while Weise finished with seven points and nine rebounds. Saint Rose launched a 23-4 run to increase their advantage to 18 points in the first few minutes of the half.
After the game against Saint Anselm on Tuesday, the Golden Knights will have four more regular season games to decide their fate in the playoffs with three of the four games having home advantage.
Women’s Basketball
The women’s basketball team has won three of their last four games, all of which were in the NE10 conference. On Jan. 30, ​​Junior forward Maddisyn Mahoney scored 14 points, pulled down six rebounds, provided four assists, and blocked two shots for Saint Rose, while sophomore guard Payton Graber finished with 15 points and nine rebounds. Aniya McDonald-Perry, a sophomore forward, and junior guard Syrita Faraj each grabbed seven rebounds.
Due to a sluggish start from both teams, the Golden Knights led 21–16 at the break. Franklin Pierce hit six of ten long balls in the third quarter to give the home team the lead, demonstrating how the Ravens offense would reenergize after the break.
After falling down by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter, Saint Rose was able to close the gap to just one possession in the closing minutes.The women’s team returned to Albany to face off against Southern Connecticut on Jan. 30. The women’s basketball team defeated Southern Connecticut State 54-43. Three different players finished in double-figures for the Golden Knights, with sophomore guard Kaelah Carter and Maddisyn Mahoney leading the way with 13 points apiece. Aniya McDonald-Perry, led the Golden Knights in steals and recorded a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds. For the eighth time in the previous nine games, McDonald-Perry had ten or more rebounds. Saint Rose out-rebounded Southern Connecticut State on the glass, scoring 18 second-chance points thanks to a 42-27 rebounding edge.
On Feb. 7, women’s basketball at College of Saint Rose shot 56.1 percent, which was a season high. The Golden Knights’ season-high 32 field goals also was their greatest total to date. Maddisyn Mahoney finished 12-of-14 from the field for a season-high 25 points. The offensive was led by Graber, who scored 16 points, and Faraj, who scored 15 points. Additionally, Mahoney, Graber, and Faraj each grabbed five rebounds. Freshman forward Ariana Kupi topped all players with seven rebounds, while McDonald-Perry finished with six points and six assists. In addition, junior guard Catherine Finnerty contributed three assists and four rebounds. The Golden Knights defeated the Purple Knights 41 points to 8 in the paint while holding Saint Michael’s to 12-of-52 shooting from the field. Saint Rose completed the deal in the third quarter, when the Golden Knights scored 27 of the 30 points that were scored in the period.
On Feb. 10, The Golden Knights took on AIC at home. The Golden Knights improved to 10-0 at home in 2023–24 with the victory against AIC.
Mahoney led the Golden Knights with 20 points, leading a group of five players in double digits. In the end, Graber, Faraj, and McDonald-Perry each scored 11 points, while Carter finished with 14 points.
In the win, McDonald-Perry was very active on defense, grabbing a game-high 18 rebounds and swiping three steals. In the afternoon, McDonald-Perry assisted Saint Rose in out rebounding the Yellow Jackets, 41–21. In the paint, the Golden Knights outscored the visitors 16 to 9.
Early on for the Saint Rose, Carter and Mahoney were the offensive catalysts, scoring a combined 21 points. Looking ahead to the women’s team, 3 of their four regular season games are at home. With their next home game on Feb, 17 against Bentley University.
Track and Field
On Feb. 4 the women’s and men’s track and field teams attended the annual Pioneer Fast Track Invitational at Utica College. In the 20-team tournament, the Saint Rose ladies placed 13th overall, and the men took ninth.
In the men’s field events, the Golden Knights had a successful day thanks to good performances by Jalen George and Keenan Wood. George finished fifth in the weight throw, breaking the Saint Rose program record with a toss of 14.96 meters.
Wood’s career-best triple jump distance of 13.38 meters placed him fourth. Wood now sits sixth in the Northeast-10 Conference rankings for the event following this weekend’s outcome. Matthew Waruch recorded his fourth straight meet with a top-eight result in the 600-meter (1:26.77) event. Fifth place went to Trevon Walker in the long jump (6.28 meters), and sixth place went to Matai Hazel in the 60-meter sprint (7.21 seconds).
For the women, Rihanna Burgher had the best results of the day. In addition to finishing in seventh position in the 400 meters (1:05.49), she set a new personal best in the 200 meters (27.66 seconds).
On Feb 16 and 17, The men’s and women’s teams will travel to Boston, Massachusetts to compete at the TRACK at new balance for the NE10 Indoor Championship.
