GARDEN CITY, N.Y. - The 23rd-ranked Saint Michael's College men's basketball team lost to regionally-ranked Adelphi University, 90-75, on Saturday at the Center for Recreation and Sport. Despite the setback, the Purple Knights clinched the Northeast-10 Conference regular-season title, their first since 2000-01, and the No. 1 seed in the NE10 Championship following Bentley University's loss to Pace University.
 
The Purple Knights were 23rd in this week's D2CSC national poll while earning votes toward the National Association of Basketball Coaches' (NABC) rankings. Saint Michael's is second in the D2CSC East Region poll and Adelphi seventh, and both are among 10 schools under consideration in the first NCAA East Region rankings.
 
RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (20-7, 16-5 NE10), Adelphi (18-9, 14-7 NE10)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Sophomore Nolan Marold (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Brewster Academy/Loyola Chicago), 17 points, 13 rebounds, 5 offensive rebounds
• Junior CJ Crews (Tampa, Fla./Bayshore Christian School), 16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks
• Junior Jhamyl Fricas (Lawrence, Mass./Worcester Academy/Connors State), 15 points, 3 assists, 6-for-11 field goals, 3-for-4 three-pointers
• Senior Romar Reid (Mount Vernon, N.Y./Woodstock Academy/Manhattan), 11 points, 4 assists, 6-for-6 free throws
• Sophomore Darrel Yepdo (Dracut, Mass./Brooks School), 9 points

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Sophomore Elijah Lewis, 29 points, 15-for-15 free throws
• Sophomore Mason Jackson, 13 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks
• Sophomore Dayshaun Walton, 13 points, 6 assists, 4-for-8 field goals, 4-for-4 free throws
• Graduate student Conor Regan, 12 points, 4 assists, 2 steals
• First-year Seth Brown, 11 points

GAME FACTS

• The Purple Knights claimed their third NE10 regular-season crown, having also claimed titles in 1996-97 and 2000-01.
• The teams combined for 61 free throw attempts, making 52.
• Saint Michael's suffered just its fourth loss in 14 true road games, having entered the day as NCAA East Region leader with 10 such victories.

THE ACTION

• Marold scored four points as the Purple Knights forged a 6-2 lead 1:43 into the contest.
• Adelphi responded with a 20-3 run, led by Regan's eight points, and the hosts were up 13 by 13:17 of the opening stanza.
• Six straight Crews pointed capped an 8-0 stretch that brought the visitors within 25-20 at 9:57, but Jackson's lay-in 52 seconds later made it an eight-point game.
• The Panthers continued to lead by no fewer than that margin until sophomore Alan Brzezinski (Örebro, Sweden/Western Reserve Academy) knocked down a three-pointer with 13 seconds left, creating a 42-37 halftime margin.
• Graduate student Andrew Delaney scored five points as Adelphi began the second half with a 12-2 run to lead by 15, but Saint Michael's used a 16-2 stretch to go ahead 65-64 on Fricas' triple with 6:58 left. Reid scored nine points in the run while Fricas contributed eight.
• However, Lewis knocked down a jumper 12 seconds later to spark a 14-0 run, and the hosts never again led by fewer than 11 points.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Tuesday vs. American International College, 7:30 p.m.