WALTHAM, Mass. — The College of Saint Rose was eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Division-II Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament’s East Region, with a 52-47 loss to Daemen. Not only does the contest mark the final for the 2023-24 season, but the last in the program’s history, with the college set to close at the end of this academic year.
It was a storied run, that saw the Golden Knights battle news of the college’s closing and preseason expectations that predicted the group to finish eleventh of twelve in the Northeast-10 Conference Standings. However, the Golden Knights went 21-6 en route to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010-11, posted the No. 1 scoring and shooting defense in the nation, and also featured the conference’s coach of the year, in first-year head man Will Brown, and three all-conference student-athletes.
Earning an at-large bid to the big dance, the Golden Knights drew the Wildcats, led by the NCAA’s second-leading scorer in points-per-game, senior guard Alahna Paige (21.9). Paige would surpass her season average, with 26 for the game, but on 10-25 shooting from the field and 4-10 from behind the arc.
Sophomore guard and Schalmont High School graduate Payton Graber would post 14 points for the Golden Knights, led by sophomore guard and Shaker graduate Kaelah Carter, who scored 16 in the loss.
The Wildcats would get out to Saturday’s first-round matchup on a 16-6 start, behind three-pointers from Paige and senior forward Natalie Angeletti. Five consecutive points from Graber to end the first period would put the Golden Knights down 16-11 heading into the second frame.
The run wouldn’t stop there, as Saint Rose would eventually take a 26-23 advantage with a minute to play in the second quarter, after a three-pointer from Carter. A layup from Daemen’s Shyla Montgomery with seven seconds left would have Saint Rose up by only one, at 26-25, going into halftime.
Saint Rose would struggle offensively out of intermission, scoring only seven points, on 3-14 shooting, with three turnovers. Daemen would fail to do much better on its end of the floor, going 4-16, including 2-7 from three-point range. Although, the Wildcats would commit no turnovers, scoring 12 points to retake a 37-33 advantage, going into the fourth quarter.
Paige would put the Wildcats ahead by as many as six in the final frame, on a three-pointer with 7:15 remaining in regulation. The Golden Knights wouldn’t go away, as another three-pointer from Carter, a jumper from junior guard/forward and Tamarac High School graduate Syrita Faraj, would cut the deficit to 43-42, with 5:25 to play.
Despite an ensuing layup from Paige, Carter would respond with one from in-close for the Golden Knights and even hit the game-tying free throw, one possession later.
While getting it back to 45-45, the Golden Knights couldn’t completely get over the hump and failed to retake the lead. Paige would lay another one in to put the Wildcats back ahead, 47-45. Carter would answer with a mid-range bucket, but Paige took it one further, with a jumper from inside the arc to lead 49-47, with under a minute to play.
Three free throws in the final 12 seconds from Angeletti would give Daemen the five-point edge and consequently eliminate Saint Rose from the NCAA Tournament, in the program’s last-ever season.
—
Daemen 52, Saint Rose 47
DMN;16;9;12;15;—;52
STR;11;15;7;14;—;47
Wildcats- Paige 26pts, 3reb, 4ast; Angeletti 17pts, 6reb, ast; Matz 5pts, 2reb, ast; McDuffie 2pts, 4reb, ast; Pikett reb; Montgomery 2pts; Lapertosa 13reb, ast; Auer reb; Hauer reb. TEAM: 52pts, 34reb, 8ast.
Golden Knights- Graber 14pts, 7reb, 4ast; Mahoney 8pts, 4reb, 5ast; McDonald-Perry 5pts, 9reb, 2ast; Faraj 4pts, 5reb, ast; Finnerty ast; Carter 16pts, 2reb; Kupi 2reb. TEAM: 47pts, 34reb, 12ast.
Halftime- STR, 26-25.
3-point Field Goals- DMN 9 (Paige 4, Angeletti 4, Matz), STR 4 (Carter 3, Graber).
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