Cort cans three key three-pointers down the stretch to lead Golden Knights

ALBANY, N.Y. (February 23, 2002) - The College of Saint Rose rallied from a seven-point deficit with 3:33 to play in regulation to force overtime and post a 79-78 victory over Franklin Pierce in first round action of the 2002 Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball tournament in front of a sell out crowd of 500 at the Campus Activities Center.

Eighth-seeded Saint Rose (16-11) advances to face top-seeded Assumption College (22-4) in quarterfinal round action on Monday a 7 p.m. Franklin Pierce ends its season with a 15-12 overall mark.

Saint Rose sophomore Jesse Cort led the rally with two three-pointers in the final 1:05 of regulation and added a third in the extra period which proved to be the winning shot with 27-seconds to play. He finished with 19 points, aided by a three-for six effort from three-point range, seven rebounds (three offensive) and four assists.

Junior Phil Sellers netted a game-high 26 points, aided by a 10-13 effort at the free-throw line, six rebounds (five offensive) and five steals for the Golden Knights. Freshman Kyl Jones added 21 points, on 9-14 shooting from the field, seven boards and three steals.

Senior guard Alfonso Payne (Boston, Mass./Boston Latin Academy) led Franklin Pierce with a career-high 21 points as he drained 4-7 three-point attempts to go along with seven rebounds (three offensive).

Senior Kevin Scott (Mississauga, Ontario/Iona Catholic) added 18 points, on 9-14 shooting from the field, seven rebounds and two steals. Sophomore Jimmie Hunt (Utica, N.Y./Mount Ararat (Maine)) totaled 16 points and seven rebounds (four offensive) before fouling out of the contest with 18-seconds to play in regulation. Classmate Derek Rodgerson (Newburgh, Maine/Hampden Academy) chipped in 13 points, six boards, three assists and two steals, while juniorTom Waterman (Bangor, Maine/Bangor) dished nine assists and grabbed seven rebounds to go along with six points.

The Ravens were on the short end of a 21-9 scoring advantage at the free-throw line for the afternoon as Saint Rose went to the stripe 29 times compared to 12 for the Ravens. Franklin Pierce was also hampered by 21 turnovers while the Golden Knights committed just 12.

In a game that was tight all afternoon, Franklin Pierce took its largest lead of the second half with a Scott lay-up for a seven-point (66-59) advantage with 3:33 to play.

Jones converted a conventional three-point play to cut the Saint Rose deficit to four points (66-62) with 2:39 left in regulation. After Hunt split two free-throw attempts for Franklin Pierce, Cort hit his first three-pointer with 1:55 to play to trim the Golden Knights deficit to two (67-65).

Scott put the Ravens back ahead by four with an inside lay-up with 1:26 to play, but Cort answered with another three-ball at the 1:05 mark to trim the lead to one point (69-68).

Saint Rose regained possession with a Jones steal, but after Jon Saunders missed a jumper, CSR was whistled for a foul on Waterman on the rebound attempt.

Waterman canned both free-throw attempts to bump the lead back to three, but Hunt was called for a foul on Jones with 20 seconds to play. Jones hit the first attempt, but missed the second, and Hunt was whistled for his fifth personal foul after Cort came down with the offensive rebound.

Cort drained both free throws and Franklin Pierce held for the last shot, but Waterman's off-balance lay-up in the lane was off the mark to send the game to overtime.

The lead changed twice, before Payne canned a three-pointer with 1:18 to play to give Franklin Pierce  a 78-76 advantage. Both teams turned the ball over, before Cort rattled in his third trifecta with 27-seconds to play for what proved to be the winning basket.

Rodgerson had a good look at a winning jumper with nine-seconds on the clock that was just short and Franklin Pierce called a timeout after Payne came away with the offensive rebound to set up a final play. That would never really develop, as Scott had to force a shot at the elbow with one second left.

"We knew it was going to be a difficult game that would come right down to the end," said Franklin Pierce Head Coach David Chadbourne. "Our guys that filled in really played well. I'm very happy with their effort."

Franklin Pierce, who was making its 24th straight postseason appearance, has it string of four-straight Conference semifinal berths snapped with the loss.