University of Albany: Singletary’s Three Silences Patrick Gym in 47-44 Victory at Vermont - UAlbany Sports 2015

BURLINGTON, VT.- Junior guard Evan Singletary hit a three with two seconds left and the game tied to send University at Albany men’s basketball (13-7, 8-0 AE) past Vermont (11-10, 6-2 AE) 47-44. Senior Sam Rowley also tallied his 1,000th career point in the win. “To be honest, I got the ball and I saw the time but I was looking for Sam [Rowley],” said Singletary. “Once I saw the clock running down, I knew I had to get the ball up. I struggled the whole game, but it’s not always about scoring. It’s the shot you dream of, and when it went in I couldn’t believe it.” Neither side looked poised to make the contest high-scoring early, as the teams combined to go 1-for-11 from the field in the first four minutes. The Great Danes got out to an early 3-0 lead as the Catamounts went scoreless for the first five minutes. But the Purple & Gold experience a scoring drought of its own, going without a field goal for eight minutes and committing five turnovers in the process. By the 9:09 mark in the first half, Sam Rowley was the only Dane with a field goal to his credit. The senior had six of UAlbany’s seven early points. Despite the scoring troubles, the Purple & Gold was only down 11-7, as Vermont also struggled shooting and failed to get to the charity stripe. Both teams were under 30% from the field at the under-eight media timeout. Will Brown’s squad had fouls working in its favor mid-way through the first half, a 6-1 advantage. Sam Rowley went to the line with the Purple & Gold in the bonus to make both shots of a one-and-one, eclipsing the 1,000-point mark. The senior also gave UAlbany the lead back for the first time in 10 minutes, 13-11. The teams went back-and-forth, but five-straight points from Ray Sanders put the Great Danes up 20-15 with five minutes to play in the first. Singletary hit from three-point range with two minutes on the clock to ensure a halftime lead, 25-17. With fouls stacking up against the Catamounts, John Becker’s squad continued to struggle to score. Vermont was without a field goal for 10 minutes after making two shots to open the half. UAlbany extended its lead to as many as seven points four times entering the last three minutes of the game. A 6-2 Catamount run saw that edge disappear with 42 seconds on the clock. The Purple & Gold led 44-42 thanks to one free throw from Singletary, but Vermont’s Dre Wills came down for a clear-out dunk on the next possession. Without a timeout, John Becker did not have an opportunity to set his defense. Sixteen seconds proved enough time for Singletary to get down the floor and drain the three to seal a 47-44 victory. “I’m proud of my group,” said head coach Will Brown. “I knew it was going to take a big effort to come up here and beat a very good and well-coached Vermont team. We wanted to make this as ugly of a game as possible. We’ve struggled up here in the regular season, so I’m just proud that we beat such a good team in a tough environment.” UAlbany only had four scorers, including Sam Rowley (18) Singletary (13), Sanders (10) and Mike Rowley (6). The Purple & Gold notched a 43-28 rebounding advantage for the game and 12-3 on the offensive glass. Despite a rough first half, Singletary finished with 13 points and eight rebounds. Fellow junior Ray Sanders recorded his first double-double as a Great Dane with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Sam Rowley became the ninth Great Dane to tally 1,000 points or more in the Division I era. His game-high 18 against the Catamounts gave him 1,008. “We’re happy with where we are,” said Rowley. “We know what it’s like to lose, and it’s good to see that’s turned into a winning mentality. In spite of the circumstances, we’re more motivated. Every game someone has stepped up. It’s good for a program when a player reaches 1,000 points, and I’m honored to be in that company; but I’m just looking forward to getting more wins.” UAlbany men’s basketball continues its all-time best America East start at 8-0. The Danes now have a two-game separation for first place in the league standings and head-to-head advantage over Vermont and Stony Brook. Wednesday’s win marks the first time the Purple & Gold has emerged victorious from Patrick Gym in the regular season since 2009. Brown’s Danes are also on an eight-game winning streak, matching their longest Division I winning streak. The Great Danes look to keep the streak alive at Maine (2-19, 1-7 AE) on Saturday. Tip is set for 2:00 p.m., at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.