Golden Knights no match for Orange

SYRACUSE— The College of Saint Rose hung in throughout what arguably will be its toughest test of the season with Thursday’s 80-49 setback in an exhibition game at Syracuse. The host Orange entered the evening ranked #16 in the Associated Press Preseason Poll and returned all five starters from last year’s “Sweet 16” squad.

 Conversely, the Golden Knights entered the cavernous Carrier Dome with eight freshmen listed on their roster for interim head coach Mike Perno, who assumed the top seat on the bench after longtime mentor Brian Beaury retired earlier this month.

 “I thought our guys competed really hard, which was our primary goal. We shared the ball really well, got a lot of good looks, and if we get those same shots going forward, we’ll be in a good place,” said Perno.

 Senior guard Shane Herrity scored 10 points and senior forward Matt Cerutti finished with eight points and 12 rebounds to lead Saint Rose. Also, sophomore forward Jeff Allen tossed in nine points and freshman guard Tyler Washington in seven.

 For Syracuse, sophomore forward Oshae Brissett registered a double-double behind 22 points and 14 rebounds. Junior forward Elijah Hughes and sophomore forward Buddy Boeheim tossed in 19 apiece.

 Looking ahead, Saint Rose officially opens its season on Saturday, November 10 vs. Georgian Court.