Albany, NY—The Sage College's department of athletics gathered to recognize and honor the outstanding performances of the 2016-2017 year with the naming of the athletic award winners for the 15 varsity athletic teams. In addition to awarding the Gator Award, for the Most Outstanding Player, the department also named the 2016-2017 Female and Male Athletes of the Year as well as the Dean Sharon Robinson Senior Male and Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year, which is given to the senior student-athlete with the highest overall grade point average. Sage's senior men's basketball captains Alex Lilac (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls) and Marcus Patterson (Bronx, NY/Mt. St. Michael Academy) as they were both recipients of awards at the banquet.
Patterson was named the Gator of the Year as the team's most valuable player and was also tapped as the 2016-2017 Male Athlete of the Year, while Lilac was named the 2016-2107 Dean Sharon Robinson Male Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Head men's basketball coach Brian Barnes said of Patterson, "Our coaching staff is extremely proud of all that Marcus has accomplished this season and throughout his career." Barnes added, "The improvement Marcus made in his game from his junior to senior season helped our team tremendously. It has been a privilege to be a part of and witness Marcus' growth as a student-athlete over the last four seasons. We are forever grateful for his contributions to our program."
Barnes continued, "Alex has been a joy to coach the last four seasons." He went on to say, "He is a great example of a true student-athlete and a model for younger players in our program to strive towards. His work ethic and leadership both on and off the court were invaluable contributions this season and will be missed. We are so proud of Alex and look forward to following his achievements as he begins his coaching career in the very near future."
Patterson, who was a team co-captain and Skyline Conference All-Star First Team pick, capped his senior season having been ranked in 10 statistical categories nationally in Division III this past year. He was ranked 74th nationally in total field goals attempted (381) after wrapping his stellar athletic career 1,021 career points, the third highest total among all Sage men's basketball players. Patterson also stands second all-time with his 552 rebounds in 102 career games played, which is also tied for second best all-time at Sage. He finished his senior season with 477 points, which is the most points scored in a single-season in the history of the squad. Patterson surpassed the single-season total of 468 points held by All-American Kai Deans (2014-2015). He averaged a team-best 17.7 ppg with a 7.5 rpg average in his 30.5 minutes per game.
He added 30 or more points three times, including a pair of 31 point showings. He earned seven selections to the Skyline Conference Weekly Honor Roll and scored double digits in all but three of his 27 games played and started this past season. He added eight double-doubles and was nationally ranked 111th with his double-doubles.
Lilac, also a men's basketball team co-captain this season, lead the Gator men's basketball team to the Skyline Conference North Division regular-season crown and a tournament runner-up finish. A guard, he earned multiple selections to the NABC Honors Court for his academic excellence and attained a 3.761 grade point major in physical education at Sage. He is also a Sage Scholar-Athlete honoree and a member of the Athletic Honor Society. He also earned honors as well as a Skyline Conference Scholar-Athlete honor roll recipient and caps the year as the Dean Robinson Scholar-Athlete Honoree.
The 2016-2017 men's basketball season wrapped this past month for Division III and with the conclusion of the campaign, Sage's men's basketball program and several individuals were ranked nationally among the top performers for the season. By year's wrap, Sage went 17-10 mark overall, bringing home the 2017 Skyline Conference Runner-up Trophy after winning the league's North Division III regular-season crown.
The Gators were ranked in 32 different statistical categories, while also standing in the Top 100 programs charted in 14 areas. Among the top national rankings for the Gators, Sage was 15th in forced turnovers (18.48), 21st in steals per game average (9.9), No. 22 in total steals (266), 29th in three point field goal percentage defense (31.0%), as well as 34th in both blocks per game (4.7) and field goal percentage defense (40.6%).