ALBANY, NY:  The men's basketball team didn't envision this type of beginning to their 2009-10 campaign.

Behind 23 points apiece from Brian Hanuschak and Andre Pope, the Saint Rose Golden Knights handed the Deacons their first loss of the season with a 90-62 victory over Coach Holmes' squad in their first road game of the season.

The Deacons were able to jump out to a 13-12 advantage in the early stages of the first half, but a 9-3 run by the Golden Knights gave them a 21-15 cushion they would not relinquish.  They were able to widen the gap to 14 before the break, taking a 43-29 lead into the break.

The Golden Knights were able to keep the Deacons at bay by connecting on nine of their 20 three-point attempts, while Bloomfield struggled from beyond the arc, only hitting four of their 20 attempts.  Junior guard Gage Daye did his best to bring the Deacons back into the game, notching a team-high 20 points, but it would not be enough.  Wilson Pilarte was the second-leading scorer for the Deacons in the loss, notching 11 points.  Jeff Sawyerr lead the team in rebounding, coming off the bench to pull down eight boards.

The team returns to action on November 19, when they travel to Fairbanks, Alaska for the Alaska-Fairbanks Invitational.  Their opening contest is against California University of Pennsylvania, with tip-off set for 3:00 PM Alaska Standard Time.