PURPLE KNIGHT MEN FADE LATE, SUFFER 72-57 SETBACK TO SAINT ANSELM

COLCHESTER, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College men's basketball team (3-5, 1-4 Northeast-10 Conference) went cold from the field down the stretch and suffered a 72-57 loss to Saint Anselm College on Tuesday evening in league action at the Vincent C. Ross Sports Center.

For Saint Anselm (7-1, 5-1 NE-10), junior Jack Keough (Owego, N.Y.) had a strong all-around game with a team-high 20 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and four blocks. Senior Thomas Baudinet (Watertown, Conn.) recorded 17 points and six rebounds, freshman Allen Harris (Roslindale, Mass.) added 15 points and six rebounds, and senior Pat Luptowski (Keene, N.H.) netted 11 points.

For the Purple Knights, sophomore Travis Warech (Pine Brook, N.J./Montville) led a balanced scoring attack with 15 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Freshman Michael Holton, Jr. (Portland, Ore./Sunset/The Winchendon School) tallied his first collegiate double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while juniors Tyler Schilling (Excelsior, Minn./Minnetonka) and Tom Ward (Brighton, East Sussex, England/Canarias Basketball Academy/Saint Francis (N.Y.)) contributed 10 points apiece. The loss was Saint Michael's first at home this season, as the Purple Knights are now 2-1 at the Ross in 2010-11.

Saint Michael's scored the game's first eight points to bolt out of the gate, but Saint Anselm quickly recovered, taking a 14-12 lead eight minutes into the contest. The remainder of the first half stayed close, and the game was deadlocked at 30-all at intermission.

The Purple Knights opened up a five-point lead early in the second half, and led by four, 42-38, following a Schilling lay-up with 14:54 to go. A Luptowski 3-pointer 14 seconds later triggered a 9-0 run for the Hawks, giving the visitors the lead for good. Saint Michael's trailed by just two points, 51-49, with nine minutes left, but the Purple Knights managed just two points in the next five minutes, as Saint Anselm went on a game-changing 13-2 run to take a double-digit lead, 64-51, with five minutes to go. The Hawks led by at least 11 points for the remainder of the contest.

Saint Michael's returns to action on December 19 with a 1 p.m. contest at Queens (N.Y.) College. Saint Anselm also plays again on December 19, as the Hawks visit Post University at 1 p.m.