Purple Knights News

December 2, 2006

Basketball Splits NE-10 Doubleheader With Southern Connecticut


COLCHESTER, Vt. ? Saint Michael's College split a Northeast-10 Conference basketball doubleheader with Southern Connecticut State University on Saturday at the Ross Sports Center. In the opener, the Purple Knight women fell to ninth-ranked Southern Connecticut, 71-51, and in the nightcap, the Purple Knight men outlasted the Owls, 94-82.

In the second contest, senior Brendan Mullins (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) tallied a career-high 34 points ? the second straight game he has netted a career-best in points ? as the Saint Michael's men (5-1, 4-0 NE-10) won its fifth straight contest. Mullins added a team-high seven assists while hitting 11-of-20 field goal attempts, 5-of-8 3-pointers, and all seven of his free throws in 40 minutes of action. The five-game winning streak is the program's longest since the 2000-01 season.

Also for Saint Michael's, junior Brian Monahan (Kinderhook, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) tallied 16 points and 12 rebounds ? his third consecutive double-double ? while classmate James Sorrentine (Pawtucket, R.I./Saint Raphael Academy) added 14 points, draining 4-of-8 3-pointers. Senior Chris Cayole (Burlington, Vt./Rice Memorial) and freshman Ryan Rodrigues (Acushnet, Mass./New Bedford) netted 13 points apiece as Saint Michael's made 13-of-27 3-pointers and 15-of-17 from the foul line.

For Southern Connecticut (1-4, 1-4 NE-10), senior Kevin Diffley (Queens, N.Y.) led five Owls in double figures with 21 points and seven rebounds. Freshman Trevor Harris (Nanuet, N.Y.) contributed 17 points and 10 assists, sophomore Tomas Michalik (Pezinok, Slovakia) posted 12 points off the bench, and senior Danny Miller (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and sophomore Derrick Corbett (New Haven, Conn.) notched 10 points apiece. Like Saint Michael's, Southern Connecticut shot 54 percent from the field, but committed 15 turnovers and went just 2-of-2 from the foul line.

Southern Connecticut led by one at halftime, 46-45, and stretched its lead to 71-63 with 10 minutes remaining. Up 76-70 with less than eight minutes to go, Saint Michael's went on an 18-2 run ? 12 scored by Mullins ? to take an 88-78 lead with less than two minutes to play. The Purple Knights sealed the win by making all six of their free throw attempts in the final minute to thwart the upset bid.

In the first game, the Southern Connecticut women (5-0, 4-0 NE-10) shot 53 percent from the field to hold off the host Purple Knights. Junior Kate Lynch (Rumford, R.I.) led the way for the Owls with a game-high 23 points, 10 rebounds and three steals, connecting on 9-of-14 shots from the floor. Classmate Shamika Jackson (Manchester, Conn.) added 15 points and a team-best four assists, while senior Babette Noah (Yaounde, Cameroon) contributed 10 points and seven boards.

For Saint Michael's (4-2, 2-2 NE-10), junior Adrienne Carpenter (Princeton, Mass./Wachusett Regional) led a balanced scoring attack with 11 points. The other four starters for the Purple Knights ? seniors Dani and Jevy Rayner (Westminster, Vt./Bellows Falls Union), junior Allison Dunn (Wippany, N.J./Morris Catholic) and sophomore Anna Florent (Fort Wayne, Ind./Snider) ? each netted eight points. Saint Michael's was outrebounded 39-27 in falling to 3-1 at home this season.

Southern Connecticut took the lead for good midway through the first half, as the Owls turned a 10-10 tie into a 32-18 lead with 4:30 left in the half. The Owls led by 13 at the break, 40-27, and Saint Michael's could get no closer than eight points in the second half in dropping its 10th-straight contest to Southern Connecticut.

Saint Michael's returns to action on Tuesday with a league doubleheader at American International College (women at 5:30 p.m., men 7:30 p.m.) before returning home to host Le Moyne College on Saturday, December 9 (men at 1:30 p.m., women 3:30 p.m.).

##PURPLEKNIGHTS###