ALBANY — The game may be over, but the journey isn’t.
The women’s basketball team of Saint Rose may have suffered a defeat in the Northeast-10 quarterfinal on Sunday against Southern Connecticut State University, but the Golden Knights are not ready to hang up their boots. They are now focusing on the NCAA Division II tournament.
“They have earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament,” stated Saint Rose coach Will Brown. “If we don’t secure one, I’ll personally drive to Indianapolis, where I believe the NCAA headquarters are, and stage a protest.”
On Sunday, Saint Rose, ranked No. 3, hosted its first home playoff game since 2012, but unfortunately lost to No. 6 Southern Connecticut 58-53.
“The result was not what we had hoped for or desired,” admitted Saint Rose’s Payton Graber. “We found ourselves in a bit of a predicament that we had to claw our way out of. We put up a strong fight towards the end, but it wasn’t sufficient. However, that’s alright.”
Now with a 21-6 overall record, Saint Rose is eagerly waiting for the results of the Division II tournament selection show, which will be aired next Sunday at 10:30 p.m.
“We have given ourselves a chance to still make it to the NCAA Tournament, so we’re going to stay positive and keep pushing.”
In the first quarter, Graber scored a 3-pointer to give Saint Rose its first lead of the game, which it held onto until the third quarter.
Despite a tough fight, the Owls managed to gain momentum and establish a 12-point lead with just 3:36 left in the fourth quarter.
That’s when Saint Rose turned the tables, staging a comeback. The Golden Knights used three steals to go on a 9-0 run, reducing the gap to just three points, 54-51.
Forced to foul, Southern Connecticut made their free throws in the final moments, securing a 58-53 quarterfinal victory.
“We were ranked 11 out of 12 in the preseason poll,” Brown reflected, “and now we’re discussing our disappointment in the conference tournament and our chances of getting a NCAA Tournament bid.”
“Many of us are feeling quite downcast right now, but that’s because of the high standards we set for ourselves.”
For Brown, in his debut season at Saint Rose, understanding that the program hasn’t seen much playoff success in over a decade means anticipating some learning curves in high-pressure situations.
“None of our players have faced expectations like this,” Brown explained. “No one has played in such significant games. By significant games, I mean being a higher seed in the quarterfinals of a conference tournament, third in the region and likely to get an NCAA Tournament bid. Sometimes, this can make you a bit tense and nervous.”
Graber led Saint Rose with 18 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals. Kaelah Carter added 13 points, and Syrita Faraj contributed 10 points and six rebounds. Aniya McDonald-Perry and Maddisyn Mahoney each secured nine rebounds.
“Of course, it’s disappointing and sad because it’s the end of Saint Rose, but I think it’s okay and we’re going to make a run in the tournament,” Graber said of the loss. “We would have loved to play here again. Everyone’s a bit emotional, as it’s possibly the last game ever in this building. It’s tough, but we have many happy memories here that we’ll cherish.”
Southern Connecticut 13 10 15 20 — 58
Saint Rose 17 8 10 18 — 53
SCSU scoring: Helms 6-2-15; Steinauer 5-4-14; Haines 3-0-9; Bonilla 2-0-6; Williamson 2-0-4; Evans 2-0-4; Martin 1-0-2; Milner 1-0-2; Fox 1-0-2. Saint Rose scoring: Graber 6-5-18; Carter 5-2-13; Faraj 4-0-10; McDonald-Perry 2-2-6; Mahoney 0-4-4; Blasetti 1-0-2. Team scoring: SCSU 23-6-58; Saint Rose 18-13-53.
Disagree – Disappointing loss, but still a chance to bounce back in NCAA Tournament. #ontothenext #gogoldenknights
Agree – The defeat was tough, but the NCAA Tournament is a new opportunity for the team to showcase their skills and make a strong comeback. #keepfighting