Purchase too much for Gators despite a late-game rally, 87-78
Troy, NY--- The Sage Colleges men's basketball team hosted the Panthers of Purchase College on Monday night in a Skyline Conference contest in the Neff Center. Purchase College collected the 87-78 win to improve to 15-4 overall and 11-3 in the league, while Sage falls to 8-10 overall and 6-8 in the league. The Panthers have now won five games in a row and stand in third place in the conference.
Purchase led 46-33 at the break, but Sage hung in there and after a 22 point lead (68-46, 8:25), the Gators would cut it to just seven points, down 76-69 with under just two minutes left in the contest.
PC's senior guard Michael McNair (Valley Cottage, NY/Nyack) led the Panthers with 24 points off the bench. McNair had four three-point baskets as the team was 12-30 for the night from beyond the arc. Joining McNair in double-digits was senior forward Marvin Billups (Chester, NY/Monroe-Woodbury) as he has 20 points and just missed a double-double with his nine rebounds. Senior forward Charles Thompson (Upper Marlboro, MD/Charles Hebert Flowers) did net a double-double as he had 16 points and a team-best 10 rebounds with four blocked shots.
Sage's sophomore center Ryan Sager (Stuyvesant, NY/Ichabod Crane) tallied team-best 21 points off the bench as he was 9-11 and connected for seven rebounds. Senior Derick Faragon (Rotterdam Junction, NY/Schenectady) added 15 points and had a double-double with his 11 rebounds, including eight defensive boards.
Sophomore Matt Farbotko (Rouses Point, NY/Northeastern Clinton) added 17 points for Sage as he was 9-10 from the line. Joining Farbotko in double-digit scoring was junior Pat Lanoue (Troy, NY/Hoosic Valley Central) as he finished with 11 points and had four steals. Lanoue made three buckets from beyond the arc to pace the Gators down the stretch and hit a pair to lift the Gators' late-game effort.
Sage returns to action on February 2 travelling to NYU-Poly for an 8 p.m. Skyline Conference contest, while Purchase College is also in action on February 2 at St. Joseph's College for a league contest also tipping at 8 p.m.
