Gators fall short to NYU-Poly, 53-48
Albany, NY---The Sage Colleges women's basketball team hosted the Fighting Blue Jays of NYU-Poly on Tuesday evening in the Kahl Center. NYU-Poly rallied for the 53-48 win to remain perfect in the Skyline Conference and improve to 7-1 overall with a 5-0 league record. Sage drops to 4-5 overall and 3-3 in the league.
NYU-Poly's junior forward Margaux Pickell (Howell, NJ/Howell) had a game-high 24 points and 22 rebounds to lead her team to the come from behind win and help the team stay perfect in conference play.
Sage led 29-23 at the break despite both teams suffering from some early game miscues. The Gators had three players connect for six points in the first half as senior Jessica Byerwalters (Coeymans Hollow, NY/Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk), sophomore guard Ashleigh Nelson (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy), and junior guard Tiffany Bezio (Whitehall, NY/Whitehall) each led the team. NYU-Poly held a 27-17 edge on the boards in the first half of play and Sage connected on five first half three-point buckets.
For NYU-Poly, Pickell had a first half double-double after tallying 13 points and 12 boards.
The game would be tied at 45-45 with just under two minutes to play when Pickell hit both ends of a one and one to give her team a lead, 49-45 at 20.3. Sage pulled within one point, down 49-48 after rookie forward Chelsea Martin (Davenport, NY/Jefferson Central) made both free throws at .15. Down the stretch, the Fighting Blue Jays made all four free throws and came away with the win as Sage's shots in the waning seconds were off the mark.
Sage's senior Liz Donk (Phelps, NY/Midlakes) had a team-high 13 points on the night and handed out five assists in the game and has moved into the No. 3 spot on the Gators career assist list as she now has 232 having moved ahead of Sheila Clancy (1985-1989) who had 231. Byerwalters added a double-double with her 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Gators.
NYU-Poly's senior guard Kristin Leitheuser (Millbrook, NY/Arlington) also had a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds. NYU-Poly made 17-of-22 free throws on the night and was 11-13 in the second half.
Sage returns to action on January 6 hosting Union College in the Kahl Center in a 6 p.m. non-conference game, while NYU-Poly travels to Mt. St. Mary College for a 7 p.m. league game also on January 6.
