SAGE MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM AMONG DIVISION III STATS LEADERS; SAGE-MARITIME GAME MOVED TO WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12
Indianapolis, IN – The Sage Colleges' men's basketball team ranks among the NCAA Division III statistical leaders with the release of the latest NCAA statistics through games of February 9. Sage is currently 13-8 overall and 9-5 in the Skyline Conference.
The Gators will be back in action on now on Wednesday, February 12 hosting Maritime College in a 7 p.m. Skyline Conference match-up. The game was moved from Thursday due to the impending poor weather. Sage, which has tied the school single-season win mark at 13 will go for a record 14th win in Kahl Gym with hopes of securing the program's second straight Skyline Conference Tournament appearance after appearing last season.
Sage has now scored 100 or more points this season three times and own a combined 82.8 ppg average, which is first among the Skyline Conference. The Gators also lead the league in three-point FG defense (28.5%), and steals (8.52), while ranking second in the league in rebounding offense (44.7), second in field goal percentage (45.2%) and three-point field goal percentage (33.7%). Nationally, Sage is ranked No. 28 in scoring offense, while also ranking No. 11 in total rebounds (939) and No. 10 in three-point FG Defense (28.5%). Additionally, Sage ranks seventh in offensive rebounds (16.19) and No. 26 in defensive rebounds per game (28.33). Sage ranks in the Top 100 in 16 total categories of the 409 ranked teams this season.
Sage graduate student and point guard Jeff Stopera (Scotia, NY/Scotia Glenville) continues his strong play at point guard. He has a 10.4 ppg average, while adding a 2.5 rpg average. He leads the Gators with his 133 assists and 48 steals. He ranks No. 1 in the league with his 6.7 assists per game average, while ranking first with his 2.4 steals per game. He is also No. 1 in assist to turnover ratio with a 2.59 rating. He continues to add to Sage's career record book as he has now played in 105 games with 534 assists, 226 steals, and is No. 3 all-time at Sage in scoring with 796 career points.
With the release of the national statistics, Stopera is in the Top 35 in five different categories. He ranks No. 8 in total assists (133), No. 6 in assists per game, No. 30 in steals (48), No. 31 in steals per game and No. 25 in assist to turnover ratio.
Junior center Jacob Sopchak (Rhinebeck, NY/Rhinebeck) has a 6.7 ppg average with a 4.0 rpg average in 21 games played. He leads the Gators with his 35 blocked shots this year, while continuing to climb in the career blocks record book as he has 61. He is No. 6 in the league with his 1.67 bpg average and ranks No. 79 in Division 3 in the category.
Junior Kai Deans (Miami, FL/Monsignor Pace) sports a 13.2 ppg average with a 7.1 rpg average in 21 games played with 19 starts. He has 21 blocks and now ranks 51st in offensive rebounds with a 3.33 per game average. He is also ranked 231th with his impressive 48.5% FG percentage and 240th in blocks per game with a 1.0 per game average, and 234th overall in rebounding with a 7.1 rpg average. Deans was named to the Skyline Conference Honor Roll on Monday for his efforts last week that included a pair of Sage wins and a double-double to close the week in the Gators' 69-59 win over St. Joseph's College (LI).
Senior guard Ryan LaBelle (East Berne, NY/Berne-Knox-Westerlo) checks in with a 10.1 ppg average and has handed out 27 assists with 23 steals in 18 starts. He leads the Sage lineup with his 42 made three-pointers and now has 68 career three-pointers with 355 career points in 76 games played. He is fifth in the league in three-pointers per game (2.1).