Press Release

ROBERTSON POWERS PURPLE KNIGHT MEN PAST PACE Randall 16 points away from 1,000; SMC wins third in last four contests FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                      FOR MORE INFORMATION February 7, 2004                                                                        Contact: Seth Cole                                                                                                 Phone: (802) 654-2537 COLCHESTER, Vt. – Sophomore BJ Robertson (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) tallied a game-high 18 points, including a clinching free throw with 13 seconds remaining, to lead Saint Michael’s College past Northeast-10 Conference rival Pace University, 62-58, in men’s basketball action on Saturday at the Ross Sports Center. Senior Delbert Randall (Baltimore, Md./Calvert Hall) recorded his third double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds, and is just 16 points away from 1,000 in his Purple Knight career. Randall also eclipsed the 500-rebound plateau with his third board of the contest. Classmate Ben Smith (Southport Island, Maine/Boothbay Region) chipped in nine points, including a 3-pointer with 1:41 remaining that gave the hosts the lead for good, and a season-high 13 rebounds. Freshman Brendan Mullins (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) added 12 points, all on 3-pointers, for Saint Michael’s (7-15, 4-14 NE-10), which won for the third time in its last four contests. For the Setters, senior Daniel Campos (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) notched a team-high 17 points and four assists, while classmate Atiba Lyons (Englewood, Fla.) tallied 15 points. Pace (15-7, 10-7), which saw its five-game winning streak come to an end, shot just three-of-15 from beyond the arc and was outrebounded 47-36. In an evenly-played first half that featured seven ties and five lead changes, the Setters closed the period with five straight points to take a 34-30 lead. Saint Michael’s shot just 38 percent in the stanza, including two-of-12 from long distance, but stayed in the contest thanks to 11 points by Robertson and a 23-14 advantage on the glass. After intermission, Pace slowly stretched its lead to a game-high eight points, 44-36, with 14 minutes remaining. The Purple Knights slowly chipped away at the Setters’ lead over the next nine minutes, going on a 17-8 run, capped by a Robertson lay-up off of one of sophomore Chase Graves’ (West Chester, Pa./Storm King) game-high six assists, to take a 53-52 lead with five minutes to play. The game was tied twice in the closing minutes before Smith’s 3-pointer gave Saint Michael’s a lead it would not relinquish. The Purple Knights look to continue their climb towards an NE-10 playoff berth on Tuesday, as Saint Michael’s hosts Southern Connecticut State University at 7:30 p.m.      ###PURPLEKNIGHTS###

For more information please contact the SMC Sports Information Office at (802) 654-2537
Last Revised: October 25, 2002