By DAVID MEISTER
Sports Editor
The spring semester is now in full swing but Golden Knights athletics didn’t stop over the break. Starting off with the women’s basketball team which went 5-1 over winter break looked to carry momentum back into the semester.
They were competing last Wednesday on the road against the Stonehill Skyhawks but lost 75-54. The Skyhawks’ defense stifled the Golden Knights offense throughout the evening including holding Saint Rose to just eight points in the second quarter. Despite the strong defense, three members of the team did break into double figures in scoring. Senior Isa Vara de Rey finished with 14 points, and senior Ashley Vanderwall and junior Cameron Graupman each finished with ten points a piece.
On Saturday they returned home for their annual Cancer Awareness Day game. Proceeds from the game went to Camp Bravehearts in the name of 2007 Saint Rose graduate Ariel Davis who passed away in October from breast cancer. They faced off against the Franklin Pierce Ravens but came up just short, falling 78-74. Halfway through the third quarter the Golden Knights were down 20 points but they then began a comeback which put them as close as two points away from tying it up, but two late free throws with less than a minute to go sealed the victory for the Ravens. Leading the comeback for the Saint Rose offense was Vanderwall who finished the day with 20 points. Behind her were junior Leah Dollard and Vara de Rey who ended the day with 16 and 11 points respectively.
The two losses set the team back to 10-7 on the season and they will look to snap their losing streak on Wednesday when they travel to Manchester, New Hampshire to take on the Southern New Hampshire Penmen.
The men’s basketball team went 2-3 in their games over winter break. They looked to improve when they also took on Stonehill last Wednesday and chalked up a victory by a final score of 72-66. Sophomore Adam Anderson paced the Saint Rose offense with 26 points while also shooting 8/13 on the night. Three other Golden Knights finished with double digit point totals, senior Matt Cerutti finished with 14 points, and senior Shane Herrity and freshman Sekou Sylla each finished with 10 points.
The team looked to stretch their win streak to three on Saturday which was their annual Coaches vs. Cancer game. Proceeds from the game went towards the V Foundation for Cancer Research in honor of 1986 graduate John Pesce who died in 2015 from brain cancer. The team also took on Franklin Pierce but fell, 94-74. The Ravens had five players finish the day with double digit point totals. Anderson once again paced the Golden Knights offense with 21 points. Cerutti and junior Michael Wearne each finished with 12 points. The team now is at 7-10 on the year and they also travel to take on Southern New Hampshire on Wednesday night.
Finally in men’s and women’s swimming and diving, both teams had very successful winter breaks. Both groups were in Puerto Rico for a meet on January 5 and finished in the top five. The men finished fourth out of 12 teams while the women placed second out of 12 teams.
They then both defeated Adelphi on January 13 and looked to carry the momentum into last Friday’s meet against the Saint Michael’s Purple Knights and both teams did pull off victories. The women won, 108-88 and the men, 129-86.
Leading the way for the women’s team was sophomore Colleen Quaglia and freshman Emily Miles who each won two events. Quaglia finished first in the 1,000 yard freestyle and 200 yard butterfly. Miles touched first in the 200 yard breastroke and 100 yard freestyle.
The men’s team was led by senior Piotr Czajkowski and junior Aleksandar Stosik who also had two wins a piece. Czajkowski won the 50 and 100 yard freestyle while Stosik took first in the 500 and 1,000 yard freestyle.
The teams were scheduled to have their final home meet of the season on Sunday against the Pace Setters but the match was cancelled due to the winter storm. They will both be back in action Friday for a tri-meet in New Haven, Connecticut where they will take on the Southern Connecticut State Owls and the Bridgeport Purple Knights.
