By Chris Granozio
A lot has happened on the court over the past two weeks, but our lead story comes from off the court. And it’s not a happy one to report. The College of Saint Rose, which has been a part of all three of the leagues in our region dating back to its NAIA days in the CACC, has announced it is closing its doors in May. Obviously, this is shattering news for the teachers and employees, first and foremost, but also the students, the alumni and the city of Albany, which is losing a major revenue source to the Capital Region’s economy for over a century.
Brian Beaury, who has piloted the school’s men’s basketball team from his days as a hard-nosed, point guard to an unparalleled level of success as head coach, tells D2easthoop.org that these are sad times indeed. “I feel for so many people including students, teachers, staffers, parents, families etc., who in many cases have given their lives to Saint Rose. We grow through adversity and we’ll work to help our student athletes grow and do our best to continue to represent Saint Rose with class & character for the balance of our season.”
Beaury, who has been a fixture on the campus since 1978, said he and others in the athletic department have a mission “to find the students, and in our case our student athletes and coaches, the best possible fit going forward. I believe they can help someone out there as a solid representative of their program.” After a six-year hiatus, which was prompted by health issues, Beaury returned to head coaching duties, and there is no one more well-equipped to teach life lessons to his team, which he assembled himself during the off-season. The Saint Rose, New York State Basketball Coaches and New York Capital Region Hall of Famer has compiled a brilliant 646-230 record; his win total ranking seventh all-time at Division 2.
Gallagher Driscoll, an elite playmaker who played under Beaury and guided the team as it transitioned to NCAA classification in 1991, is similarly heartbroken to hear about his alma mater closing. “I met lifelong friends and teammates there,” he told us. “There were always people there to help. I will always be grateful to Coach Beaury for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. I couldn’t have written a batter script. Saint Rose will always be one of the storied programs of all-time.”
Even more recently, another brilliant point guard (and D2easthoops Super 75 selection), Steve Dagostino, who runs the successful Dags Basketball training facility, was stunned by the news. “It is extremely sad,” he said. “On my recruiting visit, Coach Beaury told me that it’s not the buildings that make the College of Saint Rose special, It is the people, the relationships and the experience. It is where I grew the most as a person, and a basketball player. It built the foundation for my professional career as a basketball development coach. It is also where I met my wife, Collen. As sad as it is that the college will be closing and all the alumni will no longer have a place to gather and follow, it has always been about the people, relationships and experiences. Nothing can take that away.”
With Beaury at the helm, the Golden Knights became instant NCAA Tournament participants, their success culminating in back-to-back Final Four appearances in 1998 and 1999. Other sports also excelled there, most notably women’s soccer, which currently sits at #1 in the nation. In addition, Brandon Birchak became the 2007 NCAA D2 National Diving Champion on both the 1- and 3-meter boards. Longtime Sports Information Director David Alexander – one of the finest ever to grace the profession – left the business but is still just a year removed from the school. “I spent more than 30 years on the Golden Knights campus and am experiencing an array of emotions. Ultimately, it’s just heartbreaking.”
The word fits. And similar heartbreak has been felt across campuses all over the Northeast recently as economic and demographic factors have adversely impacted smaller schools.
Over the last 20 years, our region has lost Southampton, Dowling, Concordia, Green Mountain and, most recently, Alliance over the summer. LIU Post and University of the Sciences recently were absorbed by larger schools, as were Jefferson and Bloomfield, though their particular athletic departments have continued to operate individually to this point (Jefferson did not have athletics prior to the merger). New York Tech dropped athletics prior to the pandemic. Smaller schools across Division 3 have suffered similar fates. Unfortunately, there are likely to be more stories such as this, as there are simply not enough potential students these days. It’s a harsh example of supply and demand.
We hold the Saint Rose family close to our collective heart. The region is in mourning.
You Never Forget Your First
Turning to basketball matters, let’s start things out with a tip of the cap to Chestnut Hill Head Coach Andrew Radomicki, who earned his first win as a head coach. And it was a notable one as his Griffins stunned crosstown rival and storied program Jefferson at Sorgenti Arena, 70-59. The win snapped a seven-game dry spell to start the season as Noah Charles (20 points), Argel Pettit IV (19) and Alejandro Redondo Cybak (14 points, 13 rebounds, four assists) carried the load. A key 16-0 run was the difference as the Griffins transformed a 48-43 deficit into a 59-48 lead with 4:40 to play, keeping the Rams without a field goal for over seven minutes.
Jefferson & Hyde
Speaking of Jefferson, they are this season’s proverbial Jeckyll & Hyde team, winning all three of its home games in convincing fashion while dropping all five away from the Gallagher Center. In the Rams’ two most recent wins, a 30-11 spree to end the half gave the hosts a 46-28 upper hand against Adelphi, and they held off a late run that saw the Panthers whittle a 22-point second-half deficit down to 75-70 with 3:46 left. Erick Timko (27 points, 10-11 FG, 3-4 from 3-point land) and Antonin Kemkeng (21 points, 13 rebounds) made sure the lead held up. Next game vs. Lincoln (PA), Ahmed Barba-Bey (17 points, eight boards, five assists) and Bismarck Nsiah (15 points, 10 rebounds, four blocked shots off the bench) were the key factors in constructing a 46-20 halftime lead that was never seriously threatened after the break as Jefferson captured its region-best 14th consecutive home win dating back to last winter.
And Then There Were None
The last of the unbeatens fell in similar fashion on Saturday, seeing seven-game win streaks snap in tight league losses on the road. In Waterbury, Dominican wrapped up a stretch vs. three different Connecticut opponents with a setback at Post. The Chargers fell into a 70-52 hole but charged back to eke in front, 77-76 in the closing seconds. Deng Diang (23 points, 9-12 FG, seven rebounds) was fouled on the ensuing play and split a pair at the stripe to tie things up. After his miss, Bol Akot – who has become a big regional story thus far – snared the offensive rebound and fed Deang underneath for the go-ahead lay-up with 4.5 seconds remaining. Quest Harris then secured the victory by snuffing out Jaden Honis’ potential winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. Dominican – which had beaten New Haven and Bridgeport at home prior to the loss – has made it eight straight seasons getting off – apologies to James Brown – on the good foot (7-0, 5-0, 8-0, 2-0, 7-0, 1-0, 5-0, 1-0) and is ranked in the national Top 10 in two categories: scoring average (#8 at 93.5) and forced turnovers (#4 at 23.8).
Pace – which had been making a living squeaking out wins early on – found itself on the receiving end in Vermont, seeing an 18-point second-half lead evaporate against St. Michael’s. Adam Brzezinski’s steal and two free throws with 8.1 seconds to go capped the scoring as the Purple Knights wound up leading the game for a mere 23 seconds, but most importantly when the clock hit triple zeroes. Darrel Yepdo was the catalyst for the hosts, tallying 20 of his 26 points in the second half. The win was the first for the P-Knights against a ranked team (Pace was #24 at the time) since February 4, 2017 – another home win vs. another #24 team: Southern New Hampshire, 84-81.
Purple Reign
St. Michael’s – which has remarkably won three straight one-point games for the first time in its long history – has improved to 5-0 in the Northeast-10 (the last unbeaten in the circuit) for the first time since 2000-01, when it opened at 10-0). The first razor-thin margin game came vs. Southern New Hampshire in Manchester, its first success in that series since February 16, 2019 and first at the Stan Spirou Field House since a 59-57 dogfight on November 16, 2011. Brzezinski was potent again with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Yepdo provided the tying and deciding points at the stripe with 28 seconds on the clock. The sophomore guard missed two freebies with nine seconds showing but Kurtis Henderson – who tied his career high with 19 points – missed a heavily contested lay-up as time expired, cementing the result. In yesterday’s contest vs. Saint Rose in Albany, Jhamyl Fricas posted 20 of his 22 points after the break, including 11 over the final 3:22 as the P-Knights wiped out a 14-point deficit and won despite missing two front ends in the waning seconds and being outshot on the evening, 55%-41%. Three-point shooting (15-34 to 5-12) and forcing two late turnovers were crucial factors in the outcome. St. Michael’s has now won six in a row for the first time since a program-record 15-game unbeaten stretch spanning the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 campaigns. The comeback spoiled a personal-best 21-point effort from Golden Knights rookie guard Christian Pierre-Louis in his first collegiate start. After dropping 14 of their first 15 road games vs. Saint Rose, the Purple Knights wind up winning three of their final four at Nolan Gym. The Purple Knights – who are allowing a region-lowest 38.2% shooting – are making a statement. They ain’t going anywhere. Pace – no slouches themselves defensively – are allowing a region-best 65.4 points per game.
Bombs Away
For a program blessed with countless elite shooters throughout its history, Saint Anselm has unearthed yet another one, who made history in just his eighth game on the Hilltop. Josh Morrissette – a sophomore transfer from Wofford College – exploded for 44 points in a win against Granite State rival Franklin Pierce at Stoutenburgh Gym, a point total that’s eclipsed only by Super 75 great Todd Manuel’s 52-point standard vs. Bentley on January 3, 2022. But wait… there’s more! Thirty-six of those 44 points came via the 3-ball as Morrissette converted 12 of his 16 long-range attempts, shattering the Hawks’ and Northeast-10’s record for threes in a game. Sean Ryan had held the previous school mark with 10 vs. St. Michael’s on February 15, 1995, while Pace’s Brandon Powell (2-21-23 vs. Franklin Pierce) and New Haven’s Justin Exum (11-28-10 at Le Moyne) are the most recent NE10 players to knock down as many as 11 triples in a game. The regional record for threes in a game belongs to Bridgeport’s Floyd Prieto, who scored 55 points on 15-22 from long distance vs. LIU Post on February 20, 2019. Morrissette’s 44 points represents an individual season high for the East Region. The Hawks shot a sizzling 19-31 from the 3-point line in the win, and it should not go unnoticed that Tyler Arbuckle played Robin to Morrissette’s Batman, registering his first career double-double with 25 points and career-best 12 rebounds.
STAC Attack
You may have missed this tidbit while gobbling down your turkey, but St. Thomas Aquinas became the first visiting team to sweep Indiana (PA)’s Thanksgiving Classic, handing the hosts their first-ever loss at that event in 20 games. And the Spartans did so with authority, stomping on the Crimson Hawks, 81-64, to match IUP’s worst margin of defeat ever at the Kovalchick Center (West Liberty won last year’s Atlantic Regional there, 70-53). James Patterson – who may just be the best all-around player in the region – spearheaded the win with 30 points and eight rebounds, as STAC took charge with a 23-8 flourish over the last 10:20 of the first half, flipping a 23-17 deficit into a 40-31 lead it would never surrender. The super sophomore is now seventh in the nation in scoring (24.3 ppg) and has attempted a remarkable 73 free throws in just nine games. It was more of the same next day vs. Pitt-Johnstown, as Aquinas burst out of the gate with leads of 16-2 and 43-17 in a runaway triumph. Jamal Barnes scored all 21 of his points on 7-11 long-distance shooting to lead the way. For both games, STAC shot a blistering 30-57 (53%) from beyond the arc, as opposed to just 38-137 (28%) in its other games thus far. It was a struggle from the floor on the last leg of the road trip at Georgian Court, but Patterson (24 points, 11-12 FT) guided the troops to another victory, while pouring in another 20 in a home blowout of Mercy – the Spartans’ 22nd consecutive win in the series.
No Sophomore Slump
After a sensational rookie campaign, Caldwell guard Darnell Evans has been even better in his second season, averaging 27.7 points a game, which is #1 across Division 2, and by nearly two full points over his nearest challenger. Only Brody Fox of D3 Wisconsin-Stout has a higher average at any NCAA level at 28.9 ppg. Prior to Morrissette’s showcase last night, Evans had recorded the highest-scoring game in the region this year with a 42-point effort (15-25 FG) in a win vs. American International in Springfield. He followed that up with 38 more (13-20) vs. league rival Felician. Evans’ excellence is the main reason behind Caldwell ranking #15 nationally in points per game. Oh, and then there’s this… the Long Island native paces the region in steals with 3.0 per game. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: he’s got more than a little bit of Super 75 great Andre Dabney in him – and that’s pretty high praise.
House of Horrors
Despite its well-deserved reputation as one of the premier powers of the region, Bentley can’t seem to find any measure of success at Adelphi’s Center for Recreation and Sport, falling there for a sixth straight time since their last win in Garden City – 75-67 on January 14, 2015 (they’re 3-7 total since the building opened in 2009). Adelphi closed out the recent match-up with an 8-2 surge, wiping out a 66-63 deficit. Brookline, Mass. native Matthew Price had the hot hand (7-11 FG, 3-5 from 3) vs. his quasi-hometown team, while Mason Jackson came up huge with the go-ahead bucket with 47 seconds on the clock. The Panthers sank their last four foul shots, but Zach Laput still had a decent look at a potential tying triple that did not fall. Since 2016, these two teams have played nine times, including one playoff encounter, and in seven of those nine, the game was decided by one or two possessions as Bentley’s only two wins have come at home by a total of five points (the last of which ended with Brian Wright-Kinsey getting fouled on a 3-pointer during a tie game and converting all three free throws at the buzzer), further illustrating how closely these two squads match up. Adelphi has a modest plus-36 scoring edge during its six-game home win streak, by comparison.
Laput – the reigning NE10 Player of the Year – totaled 32 points, seven rebounds and four assists in an exciting home win vs. longtime rival St. Anselm. Kellan Bochenek also made his presence felt with a career-high 17 points (4-5 from long range) and eight caroms.
The Only Way Is Up
Mercy continues to struggle, especially defensively, as the region’s last winless team, allowing 100 or more points in half of their eight losses. There’s still time to right the ship but there must be significant improvement in several areas as the Mavericks rank second to last in D2 scoring defense (101.7 ppg), last in turnovers committed (19.8) and are among the bottom five in field goal defense (51%) and 3-point defense (42%), making it extremely difficult to compete. On the bright side, Jayden Dewaal ranks eighth in the nation, pulling down eight rebounds a game.
Basketball in the Boogie-Down
For perhaps the first time in history, there were regional games played in The Bronx, NY as Holy Family and Bloomfield partook in the annual Harlem Renaissance Classic, previously held in Manhattan but this time taking place at Gauchos Gym. For Holy Family, it was a positive trip as the Tigers defeated Elizabeth City State (NC) thanks in large part to a career day from Ethan Press (21 points, 5-9 from 3-point land), a double-double from David Robinson, Jr. (15 points, 10 rebounds) and 29 made free throws – the most for the program since a 29-38 performance at Post on January 5, 2019. Bloomfield wasn’t as fortunate, losing to another CIAA team in Winston-Salem State. The Rams jumped on the Bears early with leads of 13-0 and 28-7 in cruising to the victory. Deavion Ellis shined in defeat with 21 points.
Rank & File
There are no regional teams listed in this week’s NABC Top 25 Coaches’ Poll, but no fewer than five teams are receiving some love under “receiving votes,” namely St. Thomas Aquinas, Pace, St. Michael’s, Dominican and Post. Defending national champion Nova Southeastern (FL), which hasn’t lost in two years. Remains the undisputed #1.
Dribbles…
- Justice Ellison of American International continued his breakout season, netting 25 points in the Yellow Jackets’ win at Mass Pike rival Assumption last night, capping the decisive 29-12 second-half run that flipped a 40-37 deficit into a 66-52 lead at 5:28. AIC boasted the more potent long-range shooters on this night: 12-26 to 4-20. Ellison also pumped in a career-high 35, while teammate Jacob Barnett offered a personal-best 23 off the bench (5-5 from deep) in a loss at Franklin Pierce.
- D’Youville’s bid to knock off a second straight PSAC power fell short vs. East Stroudsburg in Buffalo. The Saints held a 38-37 lead at the half and were within a possession (60-57) inside of eight minutes before the Warriors closed out the contest on a 28-13 run. Next outing vs. nationally-ranked Walsh in North Canton, Ohio, D’Youville was outshot, 56%-26% in a blowout loss, but give Andy Stark and his troops this: they have played an absolute killer schedule (non-league opponents were a combined 27-14 as of this writing), and that can only help them when conference play kicks into high gear.
- Fellow Western New York team Roberts Wesleyan earned its first ECC win over D’Youville, with Ryan Garwood’s 17-point outing the centerpiece (5-6 FG, 4-5 from 3). Trailing by three with 2:03 to go, Garwood hit the tying triple and the Redhawks closed out the game with a 6-0 flourish.
- Before winning its last two contests, St. Anselm’s 0-3 start in NE10 play was its worst since going 0-6 in 2011.
- Saint Rose’s Tristian Jeffries is shooting threes at a 53.7% clip, best in the region and ninth-best in the country. He had stellar games recently at Felician (24 points, seven rebounds) and vs. Franklin Pierce (18, 9).
- For the sixth straight season, Goldey-Beacom captured its first CACC contest with a rout of Holy Family at the Jones Center. The Lightning are shooting an electric 42.3% from 3-point range, tops in the region and eighth in the nation.
- Across town, Wilmington is conversely the East’s stingiest team when it comes to allowing threes, limiting opponents to just 28.4%, best in the region.
- Assumption rallied from a 16-point, second-half deficit to stun host Franklin Pierce. Cooper Creek’s lay-up with 2:57 left gave the Greyhounds the lead for keeps at 79-77 as they closed out the game with a 16-4 rush.
- Malik Bentick compiled career highs of 17 points and 15 rebounds, Shamar Chester added a career-best 22 points (7-10 FG) off the bench and Dante Griffin just missed a triple-double with 15 points, nine boards and 10 assists, powering Queens to its first win over Caldwell since January 2, 2011, snapping a five-game skid in the series. Bentick also supplied 14 points and 13 boards in a loss to Staten Island.
- Could New Jersey boast the nation’s top shot-blocker for a second straight season? Last year, when Jarnel Rancy was with Caldwell, he averaged 4.09 swats a game. This year Edward Ngene of Bloomfield tops the national charts with 4.4 rejections per outing.
- Matt Becht scored 26 points, including 11 straight, for Southern New Hampshire, leading the Penmen past New Haven in West Haven. It was the sixth straight loss for the defending regional champs – their largest dry spell since the 2015-16 season. Tyler Saint-Furcy matched a career high with 20 points in the setback. Next game vs. Adelphi, the youthful Chargers stormed out of the gate with the game’s first 19 points and 35 of the first 46 in repelling the Panthers and ending the slide. Jah’Likai King led the “charge” with 26 points and six assists.
- It was Chargers-squared on the Sunday after Thanksgiving as Dominican staved off a late comeback vs. New Haven, which saw Keith Warren toss in a career-best 27 points.
- Bridgeport checks in at #7 across Division 2 with 11.7 steals per game.
- Sticking with Connecticut clubs, Marty Silvera of Southern Connecticut ranks third in all of D2 with 6.9 assists per game. Meanwhile, Saint Rose grad transfer Josh McGettigan has been a terrific addition for Scott Burrell’s team. In a game vs. AIC, he produced 12 straight points for the Owls as part of a 16-1 game-ending flourish as the Yellow Jackets were limited to no field goals over the final 6:51. McGettigan came through with 24 points (7-9 FG) and eight rebounds in last night’s surprise win over Pace at the Goldstein Center, his “Dunk-And-1” serving as the punctuation mark as Southern pulled away.
- Derrick Bueno snatched a career high-tying 19 rebounds along with 10 points and five assists for Caldwell at Felician.
- Daemen has won six of seven and improved to 3-0 vs. the PSAC after clobbering Clarion on the road. Justin Glover, who has taken over for the injured Ryan Salzberg at the point this year, stuffed the stat sheet with a career-high 19 points, along with five rebounds, five assists and five steals, while Dylan Fasoyiro cranked out 30 points (11-18 FG, 5-7 from 3) in a conference win vs. Roberts Wesleyan in Amherst. The Wildcats have now won 28 of 29 vs. the Redhawks (50-12 overall) and 29 of 31 all-time at Lumsden Gym. Daemen has also won 11 straight at home, second only to Jefferson’s current 14-game streak in the region.
- Ugo Nwachukwu amassed a career-best 37 points (15-18 FG) and 12 rebounds, buoying Franklin Pierce to its first conference victory over AIC in Rindge.
- District of Columbia won its second one-point game of the young season, edging Molloy in the nation’s capital, 73-72. Robbie Matos’ 4-point play with 18 seconds completed the scoring, but following a Say Dieng steal, Matos drove the lane and thought he was fouled on a contested play but there was no call, as the Firebirds escaped. Tevin Curtis (16 points, seven rebounds, six assists) capped a critical 10-0 spurt with two foul shots at the 46-second mark as UDC erased a 65-61 deficit and jumped in front for good at 71-65. Matos finished with 21 points (12-13 FT) and four assists. The freshman playmaker added 13 and five, respectively, vs. Staten Island the game before.
- Kudos to Georgian Court’s Clint Wright, Jr., who recorded his 1,000th career point faster than any other Lion – 67 games – reaching the milestone vs. St Thomas Aquinas last week as part of a career-high 28-point outburst (10-17 FG, 6-10 from afar). GCU has struggled of late, falling in five straight by an average margin of 27.8 points.
- James Chestnut’s 3-point play with 2:19 left at Molloy was the pivotal moment in Staten Island’s first road victory, giving the Dolphins the lead for good at 83-81. Bryce Waterman produced 24 points, including the free throws that capped the scoring.
- It should come as no surprise that Bentley is yet again #1 in D2 in fewest fouls per game at 10.5.
- Could this be the best Felician basketball team ever? There’s certainly room for serious discussion on that topic as the Golden Falcons are talented, experienced and very deep. Their only losses have been at red-hot St. Michael’s and Pace – both of whom are receiving national attention – and at D1 Manhattan. Felician features many weapons (Jay’von Jackson recently went 7-10 from 3 off the bench in one game) and has averaged 89.3 points over its four-game hot streak.
- Loved looking up at the Gallagher Center scoreboard last week and seeing presidential names Lincoln and Jefferson alongside each other. If only they would meet once on President’s Day!
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