ALBANY, N.Y. – The University of New Haven men's basketball team was dealt its first loss of the season on Saturday afternoon in a 77-58 setback at Saint Rose. Three players scored in double figures for New Haven as junior Elijah Bailey (Freeport, N.Y./The Hotchkiss School) followed up Wednesday night's career performance with 19 points and six rebounds on 7-for-16 shooting. Kessly Felizor (Hightstown, N.J./Hightstown) tallied 13 points and nine rebounds while shooting 6-of-8 from the field, and junior Darius Roundtree (Plainfield, N.J./The Patrick School) reached double figures with a career-high 10 points. Roy Kane, Jr. (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk) added seven points and a season-high eight rebounds.
Saint Rose finished the game shooting 48.1 percent while New Haven finished at an even 40 percent (22-for-55). The Golden Knights also connected on 10 of their 22 three-point attempts. The two teams combined for 10 turnovers, with eight of them charged to New Haven. Saint Rose also held advantages in points off turnover (14-0) and points in the paint (26-20). The Chargers struggled from the charity stripe, connecting on just five of their 13 free throws.
The victory moves Saint Rose to 3-4 (1-4 NE10) on the season, as New Haven falls to 5-1 (3-1 NE10).
Bailey and Felizor sank back-to-back threes to give the Chargers an early 8-2 advantage, before the Golden Knights answered with a pair of their own to knot the score 8-8. Roundtree sank a triple and Bailey followed a Golden Knights' basket with his second triple of the quarter to put New Haven up 14-10 at 13:02.
Saint Rose started the game hot from the floor, opening up 7-for-13 overall and 4-of-6 from three-point range, tying the game at 16 after a pair of threes. New Haven also started a sizzling 7-for-10 and 5-for-6 from three-point range, tying it at 19 with a Kian Dalyrimple (Dix Hills, N.Y.) three at the 10:04 mark.
A second chance basket off a missed jumper made it seven straight for the Knights at 26-19 with 7:44 on the clock. Saint Rose made it a nine-point game just over two minutes later with a long jumper from the left baseline.
New Haven fell behind by as many as nine with 2:57 to go before Roundtree used his second triple in as many attempts to get within 34-28. A late three by New Haven was off target at the buzzer, as Saint Rose carried a 38-31 lead into the locker room.
New Haven finished the first half 12-of-25 (48 percent) and 6-for-12 from three, while Saint Rose shot 43.8 percent, while outrebounding New Haven by six. Saint Rose did not commit any turnovers through the first 20-plus minutes.
Felizor got New Haven within five in the opening moments of the second half before Saint Rose scored six of the next eight points to get the lead back to nine at 44-35 with 16:27 remaining. Matt Keenan got the Golden Knights' lead to double digits for the first time with a three from the corner to make it 47-37 with 14:07 left. Kane Jr. followed with a jumper to make it a nine-point game once again, but Saint Rose would increase their run to 13-4 to take a 53-39 lead.
The lead got to 17 after a pair of free throws just past the halfway point and Saint Rose gained its first 20-point advantage, 67-47, with a right side three from Adam Anderson at 6:37.
Bailey connected on a fall-away three-pointer with 2:51 left while drawing a foul. He hit the ensuing free throw to make it 74-55, and Roundtree countered a Knights' three with a triple of his own to thrust himself into double figures and cap the Chargers' scoring.
Next up, New Haven will return home this Tuesday for a NE10 Southwest Division matchup against Pace. Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m. on NE10 NOW.
