NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Junior guard Justin Gardenhire (Rosedale, N.Y.) scored a team-high 17 points, and junior forward Preston Bell (Brooklyn, N.Y.) fell one rebound shy of his first career double-double, but the Southern Connecticut State University men's basketball team fell to the College of Saint Rose by a score of 84-82 from Moore Fieldhouse in New Haven on Wednesday night. Saint Rose got the victory on a Shanty Robinson layup with 0.1 seconds remaining on the clock. With the loss, the Owls fell to 6-14 overall and 2-13 in the Northeast-10 Conference, while the Golden Knights from Saint Rose improved to 15-5 overall and 12-3 in conference play.

Southern Connecticut began the game on a 9-2 run, fueled by six points from junior guard Terron Jones (Bridgeport, Conn.). The Owls' lead grew as large as 12 points in the opening stanza, but the Golden Knights continued to chip away at the lead. Eventually, a 9-1 Saint Rose run gave them a 38-36 lead. When the horn sounded to begin the intermission, Saint Rose led by four points at 45-41. Jones led the Owls with 12 points in the opening frame and Gardenhire joined him in double figures with 11. Shanty Robinson led all scorers with 20 points.

The Golden Knights began the second half on a 7-0 run to build an 11 point lead. The Owls responded immediately with a 16-0 run to build a five point lead at 57-52 with 14:00 remaining in the game. Saint Rose chopped the lead to three points on their next possession, and neither team would lead by more than three the rest of the way. Both teams hit their offensive stride, netting a combined 57 points in the final 14 minutes. The game came down to two possessions with 51 seconds remaining at the score tied at 82-82. Southern Connecticut could not find a shot in the closing seconds, and Saint Rose converted an Owls' turnover into a fast break layup for Robinson with 0.1 seconds remaining. After a timeout, an attempted full court pass on an out-of-bounds play was knocked down by Robinson as the horn sounded.

Bell joined Gardenhire and Jones in double figures with 13 points to go along with his career-high nine rebounds. Sophomore guard Trevor Harris (Nanuet, N.Y.) added 13 of his own and senior forward Ktrice McNeill (Bronx, N.Y.) netted 14 points. Harris and Gardenhire fronted the Owls' assist effort with three dimes apiece.

Robinson led all scorers with 30 points, including the 1,000th of his career, shooting 11-for-12 from the floor and 8-for-12 from the free throw line. Guard Steve Dagostino, the reigning Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year, added 20 points. Evan Lane pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds.

The Owls return to action on Tuesday, Feb. 5 as they return to North Andover, Mass. for the second time in 12 days to challenge Merrimack in a Northeast-10 Conference clash. The action tips off 7:30 p.m.