Saint Rose to play exhibition game against Syracuse

ALBANY — Saint Rose men’s basketball, part of the Division II Northeast-10 conference, announced Thursday that they will begin their season with a preseason exhibition game against national Division I powerhouse Syracuse on October 25.

“We’re grateful for the opportunity to play Syracuse. It’s a great experience for our players and their families, as well as the Saint Rose community as a whole,” head coach Brian Beaury said in a statement.

Saint Rose is coming off a season where they went 21-10 and 15-5 in conference play, reaching the Division II NCAA tournament for the second year in a row. Last March, they advanced to the NCAA east regional before they fell to eventual east regional champion Le Moyne. 

Syracuse, part of the Atlantic Coast Conference, finished with a record of 23-14, 8-10 in conference, and reached the Sweet 16 of this year’s NCAA tournament. 

The October 25 exhibition will be the fourth match-up between the two programs. Each of the previous three were won by the Orange, who in 2004 recorded a 91-59 win, an 86-73 win in 2005 and most recently a 2011 game, which was tied 30-30 at halftime before Syracuse pulled away to an 87-69 win. 

This year’s game will be played at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, with tip-off set for 7 p.m.