Syracuse, N.Y. – Graduate student center Jim Janson (Scotia, N.Y./Scotia-Glenville) scored 20 points to lead the Le Moyne College men's basketball team to a 67-52 win over The College of Saint Rose on Saturday evening in Northeast-10 Conference action at Ted Grant Court.

With the victory, the Dolphins claim one-half point in the year-long "Upstate Challenge" between the two institutions. Through 12 contests, the Golden Knights lead six to four.

Janson, playing in his 50th and final regular season home game, reached the 20-point plateau for the fifth time this season (all Le Moyne wins) on 8-of-9 shooting from the field, while adding seven rebounds and three blocked shots. Sophomore guard Qwadere Lovell (Mount Vernon, N.Y./Mount Vernon) registered 14 points, including seven in the first 3:03 of the game, and five rebounds. Senior guard Nate Champion (Logansport, Ind./Logansport) recorded 13 points (10 in the second half), three steals, two assists and two rebounds in his 47th and final regular season home game. Junior forward Ryan Romich (Groton, Mass./Groton-Dunstable/Vermont Academy) pulled down a game-best eight rebounds, while scoring four points and dishing out three assists.

Dominykas Milka, the conference's third-leading scorer (20.7) and leading rebounder (12.1), led the Golden Knights with 11 points and five rebounds, both of which tie for his lowest totals of the season. Mical-Ryan Boyd came off the bench to score 10 points as the only other Golden Knight to reach double digits.

The Dolphins opened the game with the first nine points over a span of 2:22. Lovell started the scoring with a lay-up, Janson and sophomore forward Connor Mahoney (Hanover, Mass./BC High/Brooks School) followed with lay-ups and then Lovell registered a conventional three-point play. After the Golden Knights got on the scoreboard on a lay-up by Tyler Sayre, who scored 38 points in the meeting in Albany in November, but was held to four points today, the Dolphins took their largest lead of the half (11 points) on baskets by Lovell and Janson.

Following a 9-3 run by Saint Rose to get within 21-17 with 9:42 left in the half, the Dolphins tallied nine of the next 11 points to regain their 11-point advantage. Four different Golden Knights scored in their run, led by a three-pointer by Isaiah Cosbert, while junior guard Naté Gause (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Poughkeepsie/Quinnipiac) started Le Moyne's run with a three-pointer and Janson followed with a pair of dunks around a lay-up by Romich.

Saint Rose countered with an 8-2 run to pull within 32-27 in the final minute of the half. After Dan Mundweiler drilled a three-pointer, Kareem Thomas made two jump shots and a free throw for the Golden Knights around two free throws by Gause.

Champion pushed Le Moyne's lead to 35-27 at halftime by burying a three-pointer from the right wing with three seconds left.

The Dolphins blew the game open with an 18-1 run to start the second half. Champion led the charge with eight of the first 11 points, Janson tallied six points, Romich capped the streak with a lay-up and Lovell and Gause each made a free throw.

After Lovell made two free throws with 9:35 to go to give the Dolphins a 55-30 advantage, Cosbert hit a three-pointer with 8:00 left in the game for Saint Rose's first field goal of the second half. The Golden Knights scored seven of next nine points to get within 17 (57-40) with 4:23 left. Milka and Boyd each made lay-ups before Eric Sinko made his first of three three-pointers.

After Boyd hit a three-pointer to make the score 59-43, the teams traded 6-0 runs. Champion made a lay-up and Janson and Lovell followed with two free throws each, while the Golden Knights countered with a three-pointer by Sinko and three free throws by Boyd.

Following a dunk by freshman guard Ryan Roberts (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro) for Le Moyne's final points, Sinko ended the game's scoring with a three-pointer.

Le Moyne (14-10, 11-7 NE-10), which beat Saint Rose at home for the first time in Champion and Janson's careers, are back in action on Saturday at American International College at 3:30 p.m.