ALBANY, N.Y. – Russell Sage College Men's Basketball fell 65-49 to the Utica University Pioneers on Saturday afternoon. The matchup served as a fundraiser for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
Junior guard Noah Girard (Glens Falls, NY/Glens Falls) had 15 points, a team-high. Senior forward Jackson Brown (Latham, NY/Catholic Central/Fredonia State) contributed nine points and three rebounds, while Senior forward Tahirou Hamidou (Bronx, NY/Carolina Basketball Academy/Livingstone) brought down seven rebounds.
Freshman forward Avery Oduro-Dompreh (Elkridge, MD/Oakland Mills) improved his career-high, scoring seven points in his 22 minutes.
The Pioneers started the game on a 12-0 run, before the Gators bounced back and were down only 30-27 at the break. RSC stayed within striking distance throughout much of the second half before Utica guard Justice Brantley (Catskill, NY) took over. The grad student, who recently surpassed the 1000 career point mark, outscored the Gators 13-3 on his own over 4:21 in the second half to ensure Utica would head west on 90 with the Empire 8 Conference victory.
The victory gives Utica University (17-3, 10-1 E8) its 12th win in its last 13 games, good for second place in the E8.
Brantley was the game's leading scorer, with 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting, 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. He added 10 rebounds, good for his second double-double on the campaign.
Senior forward Damien Call found himself in double digits as well, producing 14 points, along with 6 rebounds.
Looking ahead, the Gators (8-13/1-11 E8) begin a three game road trip, heading to Oneonta to face Hartwick on Tuesday.
Gator Bites: Head coach Brian Barnes is in his 15th season at the helm of the Gators…Seven returnees and eight newcomers comprise this year's roster…The team's co-captains: junior guard Noah Girard (Glens Falls, NY/Glens Falls), senior guard Jackson Brown (Latham, NY/Catholic Central/Fredonia State) and junior forward Todd Williamson (Schenectady, NY/Notre Dame Bishop Gibbons) helped the Gators get off to a 4-0 start…Girard commenced the week leading the Gators with 16.5 points per-game, good for sixth in the E8... He recorded 31 points, a career-high, on 10-of-16 shooting in the November 18 win at SUNY Poly...Brown added 9.8 points per-game, while Williamson averaged 8.1 points and 6 rebounds...An RSC player has taken home Empire 8 Conference Rookie of the week on four occasions...Freshman center Khalel Noteman (Brooklyn, NY/Canarsie) was picked three times (November 13, November 27, December 4), while freshman guard Deavion Springsteen (Albany, NY/Albany) was chosen on November 20…RSC began the week ranked third in the E8 by allowing 70.7 points per-game.
