All basketball teams play with a sense of urgency in March. But for The College of Saint Rose women’s team, the next loss will mark the end of the program.
Back in October, the Golden Knights were getting ready for a new season, with the optimism that comes with getting back on the floor under a coach with a history of winning.
That’s longtime men’s basketball coach Will Brown, who started his coaching career at Saint Rose and met his wife there almost three decades ago. Brown brought the University at Albany to five Division I tournaments before being named coach of the year during his one season with the professional Albany Patroons.
As he landed in the women’s game for the first time, at the Division II level in the Northeast-10 Conference, Brown’s job was simple: turn around a program coming off seven straight losing seasons.
Mission accomplished: despite a loss in the conference tourney, Saint Rose is headed to its first NCAA tourney since 2011.
The third-seeded Golden Knights face Daemen of the East Coast Conference Friday in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Whatever happens after the tournament is much less clear. It was early in the season when the private college in Albany announced on December 1 it will shutter in June, citing declining enrollment and growing financial pressures. After more than a century, that means no more academics, no more degrees, no more basketball.
So instead of recruiting and scheduling opponents for future seasons, Brown has spent this season trying to keep the Golden Knights focused on one game at a time — while also helping them figure out their next move.
“They’ve handled it as well as you can handle it,” Brown said. “There’s no manual on how to handle finding out your school is closing early in your season. These kids, some of them have been recruited throughout the season, which is a distraction. And they didn’t allow it to become a distraction. We’ve dealt with a lot of adversity and they need to enjoy this.”
Shaker graduate Maddisyn Mahoney transferred from Fairleigh Dickinson for her junior season and says the NCAAs offer a chance to end on a high note.
“It feels like our hard work is really paying off and we’re really thankful with everything that’s happened this season, and we’re just looking to keep moving forward,” Mahoney said.
Brown says at 21-6, the team has met the challenge of this unprecedented season.
“One of the things we talked about earlier in the year when we found out the school was closing was ‘Let’s try to do something special, let’s control the narrative. Let’s do something special,’” Brown said. “So I think our players have been motivated all season long. Obviously, stakes are higher now. It’s win or go home.”
Sophomore guard Payton Graber of Schenectady says while the College of Saint Rose is down to its final weeks, the team’s journey isn’t done yet.
“Continuing to grow and build off of what we’ve been working on all season, and I think if we do that, we’re going to have some success,” Graber said.
Friday’s tipoff is set for noon.
