Four Score in Double Figures as Gators Kick Off New Year With Victory
Russell Sage College Men's Basketball rang in 2026 by taking down the visiting Bloodhounds of John Jay 93-87 on Friday afternoon.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
40 | 47 | 87 |
|
|
48 | 45 | 93 |
Team Stats
John Jay
| Game Statistics | John Jay | Russell Sage College |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (26-56) | (31-66) |
| Field Goal % | 46.4% | 47.0% |
| Rebounds | 27 | 50 |
| Assists | 14 | 15 |
| Turnovers | 18 | 17 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 20 | 25 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 11 | 28 |
| Pts in the Paint | 18 | 36 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 4 | 6 |
| Bench Pts | 22 | 24 |
ALBANY, N.Y. – Russell Sage College Men's Basketball rang in 2026 by taking down the visiting Bloodhounds of John Jay 93-87 on Friday afternoon.
Pape Tunkara (Mount Vernon, NY/Iona Prep/Genesee CC) led the offense for RSC (8-1), tallying 26 points. The junior shot three-of-four from beyond the arc and seven-of-eight from the charity stripe, while adding three rebounds, five steals, and five assists.
Three others scored in double figures in the victory. Senior guard Brandon Harris (Elmsford, NY/Alexander Hamilton/Herkimer CC) went a perfect six-of-six from the free throw line on his way to 16 points, while sophomore guard Kyle Dhu (Ozone Park, NY/Brooklyn Law and Tech) and junior center Khalel Noteman (Brooklyn, NY/Canarsie) added ten apiece.
Senior forward Ben Aprilante (Fort Montgomery, NY/James I. O'Neil/SUNY Adirondack) grabbed a game high twelve rebounds while adding seven points.
John Jay (2-11) was led by Keyshawn Miller, who tallied a game high 27 points.
Looking ahead, the Gators begin Empire 8 Conference play on Tuesday at Utica.
Gator Bites: The 2025-2026 season marks the 17th for Head Coach Brian Barnes at the helm of RSC…He achieved career win number 200 on November 15 at SUNY Cobleskill...The Gators started the season 5-0 for the first time in program history…The 2014-2015 edition of the Gators started the season 6-1 on route to a 23-5 overall record...RSC began that year 7-3 on their way to capturing the Skyline Conference Tournament Championship, and NCAA Tournament berth...RSC started that historic season, and also began last year, with a 12-3 record...The Gators are coming off a trip to the Quarterfinals of the Empire 8 Conference Championship Tournament…Seven players back from last year's squad…Harris, junior guard Deavion Springsteen (Albany, NY/Albany), and Noteman headline the returners…Harris, voted third-team All-Conference, topped the Gators with 12.9 points per-game last season…Barnes added seven newcomers to the program…Dhu was tabbed the E8 Player of the Week for the period ending Sunday, November 16…He averaged 25.5 points on 60.7 percent shooting in the 2-0 week…The sophomore made 61.5 percent of his three-point attempts and totaled 11 rebounds, five steals and four assists across the pair of victories.
