COLCHESTER, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College men's basketball team forged a large early lead before succumbing to a comeback by regionally-ranked The College of Saint Rose, 80-62, on Saturday in the Ross Sports Center. The Purple Knights are 3-14 overall and 2-10 in the Northeast-10 Conference, while the Golden Knights improved to 15-5 and 8-4. Saint Rose was third in the latest D2SIDA East Region Media Poll, and won for the eighth time in nine tries.

Sophomore Levi Holmes III (East Brunswick, N.J./Rutgers Prep) scored 22 points behind 6-of-11 three-point shooting with six rebounds and two assists for the Purple Knights, reaching 20 points for the second consecutive game and for the fifth time this season. Senior Matt Bonds (Accokeek, Md./North Point) had 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting with 12 rebounds, including five offensive, and three assists. Classmate Zaire Williams (Paterson, N.J./Newark Academy) had nine points and eight assists, one shy of his career high, while sophomore Winston Jones II (Valley Stream, N.Y./Valley Stream Central) turned in eight points and eight rebounds.

Saint Michael's held a 37-28 rebounding advantage while shooting 9-of-19 from three-point range, but Saint Rose went 12-of-14 on free throws and committed only eight turnovers while picking up 15 steals.

Bonds registered his 12th double-double of the season during the contest while increasing his career rebound total to 988, taking over 11th in NE10 history from Bryant University's Mike Williams (987 from 2000-05). He also moved beyond Brian Young '89 (1,330) to claim 17th in Saint Michael's history with 1,334 points. Holmes increased his career three-pointer total to 92, becoming the 25th Purple Knight with at least 90 treys.

Six Saint Rose players scored in double figures, led by junior reserve Jack Jones' 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting. He added five rebounds. Senior Damon Coleman had 14 points and four steals, classmate Tyler Sayre picked up 12 points and four assists, and junior Julian Lipinski notched 12 points, five rebounds and three helpers.

After Lipinski put home the game's first basket, a jumper 18 seconds following the opening tip, Saint Michael's ripped off a 21-4 run, shooting 9-of-13 during that stretch while scoring on nine of 11 possessions. Williams netted eight points to lead five scorers. Holmes' triple made it 21-6 with 12:39 to go in the half before the Golden Knights stormed back with 22 of the next 28 points. Sayre had five points to lead five scorers, and Coleman scored the final five, including laying in the go-ahead basket at 5:42.

Junior Colin Richey (Upton, Mass./Choate Rosemary Hall) dropped a lay-up 12 seconds later to put the hosts back on top, but Jones' lay-up at 5:02 kicked off another big stretch, a 16-2 run that bridged halftime and had Saint Rose in front 44-31 at 18:24 of the second stanza when Coleman put in a bucket. In all, the Golden Knights scored 38 of 48 points during a 13:50 span. Holmes knocked down consecutive treys to cut the deficit to seven by 17:29 before the visitors went back up by 12, but two Bonds free throws later capped an 8-2 spurt that brought Saint Michael's within 52-46 with 13:57 to go.

Senior Chris Dorgler had a pair of baskets during a 7-0 response, and Saint Rose held the hosts off the scoreboard for 4:28 while extending its lead to 15. Saint Michael's never rallied to within fewer than 11 the rest of the way.

The Purple Knights are back on the road for their next two contests, first visiting the University of New Haven on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.