D16
The Chronicle
Sports
January 15, 2013
Volume 81 Issue 17
Golden Knights Look for More Successful 2013
COURTESY OF SAINT ROSE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT
Both men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams have gotten off to great starts. By JOSHUA NATOLI Sports Editor As we all get settled back into our same old, but slightly different, routines on campus in 2013, Golden Knights athletic teams are looking to take advantage of the new beginning and turn in more successful seasons. One team who seemed to be having no trouble at all on the court was the men’s basketball squad. After starting the season off hot with five wins without a loss, the Golden Knights have since fallen to 7-5 and 4-4 in the Northeast-10 conference dropping their last three contests. What could be the cause of the recent decline? A major reason is opponent’s points per game. During the fivewin stretch, opponents were averaging around 58 points against the Golden Knights. Since then, opponents are now averaging nearly 65 points per game. Offense has never been an issue for the Golden Knights with three players; Andre Pope, Dominykas Milka, and Tyler Sayre. All three are averaging double digits in scoring with Dan Mundweiler nearly matching them. The issue now is the ever-shrinking scoring margin between Saint Rose and their opponents. The
scoring margin, which was once hovering around fifteen points per game, is now 3.6. The rebounding margin is also an area of concern. The Golden Knights are only averaging one and a half rebounds more than opponents. An increase in the margin will undoubtedly help the Golden Knights in the games to come by increasing their transition game, as well as leading to second-chance buckets. Their next game is Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. against Southern New Hampshire. The women’s basketball team got off to a much different start than their male counterparts. After winning their first two contests, the Golden Knights lost their next six games, which now warrants them a 5-8 record and a 2-7 record in the Northeast-10 conference. The Golden Knights have however started their new year off favorably winning their first two games of 2013. In order for things to turn around into a successful season, the Golden Knights need to work on limiting opponents scoring while increasing their offensive efficiency. Currently, the Golden Knights are giving up nearly four points in the scoring margin, while averaging .406 and .323 in field goal and three-point percentage respectively. Two of the biggest
changes that need to be made are free-throw percentage and turnovers. The Golden Knights are averaging just above fifty percent from the charity stripe and nearly 22 turnovers per game, while their opponents are only conjuring close to fifteen. The turnover issue is not only leading to buckets for opponents, but limiting scoring off turnovers for the Golden Knights. Their next contest precedes the men’s game on Wednesday at Southern New Hampshire at 5:30 p.m. Both the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams have been very successful this season and look to continue their dominance going into 2013. In the first action, the Golden Knights competed at the Hartwick Relays, where they placed second out of four competing teams. They proceeded to win four more meets while only losing twice to both Hartwick and Southern Connecticut. A big contributor on the women’s side has been Caitlin Brauer. She has yet to finish any place lower than third this season, finishing in first place eight times. For the men Joseph Krok has been very solid as well, only falling below third place three times. Kyle Wilson has also paced the Golden Knights, placing first in five events and only dropping out of the top three twice. On the diving side, Ryan Butler, Dave Genender, and Matt Lisk have combined for four first place finishes and one finish outside of the top three. Next stop for them is the Northeast-10 Championships in New Haven, Connecticut starting on January 31st. With a new year come new beginnings. These Golden Knights teams are all looking to rebound as the new semester gets going and take care of business on the court and in the water. Let’s see if they can all make some noise in the NE-10. Reach Josh Natoli at Natolij477@strose.edu • Twitter: @JustJoshinYa845
COURTESY OF SAINT ROSE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT
The women’s basketball team is looking to improve on a sub-par record.
COURTESY OF SAINT ROSE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT
The men’s basketball team looks to get back to their early-season form.