Purple Knight Men Earn First League Win, 74-68, Versus Southern New Hampshire

SMC shots 53 percent from the field on 37th anniversary of Ross Sports Center debut

COLCHESTER, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College men's basketball team (3-4, 1-3 Northeast-10 Conference) picked up its first league win of the season on Wednesday evening, 74-68, versus Southern New Hampshire University at the Vincent C. Ross Sports Center. The contest fell on the 37th anniversary of the first game to be played at the Ross Sports Center, a men's game against Niagara University on December 1, 1973.

Four players scored in double figures for the Purple Knights, led by sophomore Travis Warech (Pine Brook, N.J./Montville), who tallied 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field. Freshman Michael Holton, Jr. (Portland, Ore./Sunset/The Winchendon School) added 14 points, including 7-of-8 from the foul line, junior Tyler Schilling (Excelsior, Minn./Minnetonka) recorded 12 points (5-of-6 from the field) and a team-high seven rebounds, and senior Nate Birr (Burnsville, Minn./Saint Thomas Academy) contributed 11 points and a game-high five assists.

For Southern N.H. (2-4, 0-4 NE-10), junior Tory Stapleton (Rahway, N.J.) had a game-high 19 points and 11 rebounds, making 7-of-11 field goal attempts. Senior Cory Vejraska (Alachua, Fla.) netted 15 points, sophomore Greg DeSantis (Trumbull, Conn.) chipped in with 11 points, and junior Marcus Matthews (Valley Stream, N.Y.) had 10 points before fouling out.

The game remained close for the majority of the first half, with neither team leading by more than four points in the opening 18 minutes of play. Saint Michael's, however, took control late in the opening period, as the Purple Knights ended the half on an 8-0 run to open up a 34-25 edge at intermission.

The hosts were able to stretch their lead to a game-high 14 points, 54-40, with eight minutes to go following a 3-pointer from senior Chris Hurley (Watertown, Mass./Boston College HS). SNHU would not go away quietly, however, as the Penmen then went on a 16-7 run to pull to within 61-56 with 3:03 left. A missed lay-up by Stapleton on SNHU's next possession would have pulled the visitors to within one possession, and Warech then converted a 3-point play for the Purple Knights, giving Saint Michael's some breathing room. Saint Michael's sealed the win by making 11-of-15 free throws in the final 2:07, and finished the game shooting 53 percent from the field.

Saint Michael's returns to action on Tuesday with a 7:30 p.m. home contest versus conference-rival Saint Anselm College. SNHU is next in action on Saturday, hosting Stonehill College at 3:30 p.m.