Farmingdale, NY—The Sage men's basketball team was seconds away from capturing the program's second Skyline Conference Championship on Saturday night but a last second basket by Farmingdale State College's George Riefenstahl halted the Gators' dream of a championship. FSC won the title with a 77-75 performance and earned the Skyline Conference Championship as well as the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Gators wrap their season with an impressive 17-10 showing, while capturing the Skyline Conference North Division Regular-Season Championship.
Sage held a 43-29 lead at the intermission before the Rams mounted a late-game comeback, tying the action at 60-60 with 7:12 left to play. FSC went up 64-60 after tying the game and held an eight point lead with 3:15 left to play (68-60) before the Gators mounted a comeback of their own. Sage got three pointer baskets from junior guard Jordan Devaughn (Jacksonville, FL/Flora McDonald Academy) and senior forward Marcus Patterson (Bronx, NY/Mount Saint Michael Academy). Patterson hit back to back three-pointers and then Devaugh hit a clutch three-pointer with 0:05 left in the game and was fouled to complete the four-point play and tie the game at 75-75 with 0:05 left in regulation. FSC's George Riefenstahl made a layup with just one second left before Devaugh's last second three-point attempt was blocked by Weldon Irvine to preserve the Rams' win.
For the game, Patterson led the Gators with his 20 points with four rebounds. He wraps his stellar athletic career 1,021 career points, the third highest total among all Sage men's basketball players. Patterson will stand No. 2 all-time with his 552 rebounds in 102 career games played, which is tied second best all-time as well 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).
Senior forward Rob Mills (Newburgh, NY/Newburgh Free Academy) connected for 19 points with five three-point baskets in the action. Mills, a two-year letterwinner at Sage added 532 points in his time in a Gator uniform and ranks 10th all-time on the career scoring list. On Thursday in the Skyline Semifinals, he penned his name into the Sage's single-game scoring record in the contest after he added a personal-best 36 point.
Devaugh finished the night with 13 points in his first season at Sage with an impressive team-best 47 three-point baskets. Junior center Thiago Conceicao (El Portal, FL/Westwood Christian) finished with eight points, 10 rebounds, and eight blocked shots. The eight block performance surpassed his earlier single-game record of seven blocks in a game. For the season, he led all Sage players with his 58 blocked shots, which is another Sage single-season mark. He bettered the record of 55 blocks in a season set in 2009-2010 by Marcus Hunter. Conceicao is already sixth all-time on the career block list after just one season at Sage.
The game marked the final contest for senior co-captain Alex Lilac (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls). A veteran performer, Lilac played in 68 games with an impressive 75 assists, which ranks 10th all-time on the career list.
Senior Davon Sylvester (Bronx, NY/Cardinal Hayes) added seven points in the championship game, while additional seniors Elva Shelton (St. Louis, MO/Soldan IS) and Chanse Watson (Hollis, NY/Westbury) wrapped their careers on Saturday.