ALBANY, N.Y. – Visiting MCLA snapped the Russell Sage College win streak at four games as they rallied for a 66-65 win over Tuesday night in men's basketball non-conference play. MCLA improves to 3-5, while the Gators are now 5-2.
MCLA's graduate performer Noah Yearsley (Averill Park, NY/Averill Park) scored a lay-up and was fouled at 0:11 left in the game to give his team its only lead of the second half en route to the road win. Yearsley finished with 14 points, including 12 in the second half.
MCLA opened the night on a 9-1 lead before RSC rallied to mount a run and take a 20-18 lead with 9:32 left in the first half. RSC had a 36-33 lead at the half as senior guards Amani Cummings (Brooklyn, NY/Transit Tech) and Jalon Borders (Bartow, FL/Bartow) each had nine points.
RSC emerged at the half to lead by as many as 11 points (51-40 at 12:58). MCLA outscored the Gators by an 8-6 margin over the next four minutes to chip away at the RSC lead. At 1:51, MCLA pulled within four points (63-59). After an RSC layup, MCLA answered right back with a jumper at 1:22 to make the score 65-61. Senior Bright Afful (Middletown, NY/Middletown) hit a pair of free throws at 51.6 seconds to cut the lead to two points, before Yearsley made a layup and was fouled in what turned out to be the game-winning points.
RSC had a chance at the buzzer as senior guard Tyler Mitchell (Bronx, NY/All Hallows) had a three-point shot clank off the rim as time expired.
Senior forward Hayden Bird (North Adams, MA/Drury) finished with a game-high 21 points after making six three point baskets. Junior guard Quentin Gittens (Pittsfield, MA/Taconic) joined Yearsley with 14 points, while Afful finished with nine rebounds.
The Gators got 14 points from Borders, while Cummings tallied 12 points for the night and senior forward/center Stuart Phair (Canberra, Australia/Tyler Christian School) added 11 points with five rebounds. Senior forward Jason Geronimo (Orlando, FL/Colonial) added a team-best 11 rebounds, including seven defensive boards, with three assists, one steal and four points to help the Gators to a 54-46 edge in rebounding.
Looking ahead, RSC hosts SUNY Cobleskill on Thursday night. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.
Notes: Freshman forward Todd Williamson (Schenectady, NY/Notre Dame Bishop Gibbons) was named the Empire 8 Conference Rookie of the Week on Monday...He established career highs of ten points and six rebounds in last week's win at Mount Saint Mary College...The Gators have 11 players back in the fold this year…Senior guard Jalon Borders (Bartow, FL/Bartow), a two-time first-team All-Empire 8 Conference pick, headlines the group...Borders passed Ryan Sager '13 for seventh on the program's career points vs. Worcester State on November 12…Next on the list for the senior guard, now with 811 points, is Kai Deans '15 at 826.…Senior forward/center Stuart Phair (Canberra, Australia/Tyler Christian School), who ranks third in program annals with 73 career blocks, and senior forward Jason Geronimo (Orlando, FL/Colonial) are captains on the year's team…Geronimo now ranks eighth in career rebounding with 362 caroms…Head Coach Brian Barnes, now in his 13th season, added four players to the program.
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