SAGE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM ADVANCES TO SKYLINE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME AFTER BEATING PURCHASE, 73-66; SAGE TO HOST FINALS!
Purchase, NY – The Sage College's women's basketball team travelled to No. 2 seeded Purchase College on Thursday night for the semifinals of the Skyline Women's Basketball Tournament. The visiting Gators racked up a 73-66 win to advance to the championship game for the first time in program history. Sage stands at 16-9 on the year and will now host the College of Mt. St. Vincent, which knocked off top seeded Farmingdale, 76- 59. The championship game will take place on Saturday, March 1 at Sage's Kahl Gym at 2 p.m. The Skyline Conference Champion will garner the league's automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Division III Championship.
CMSV is 18-8 on the season heading a showdown with the Gators after the two teams split in the regular-season. The appearance in the championship game is a first for both teams.
The two teams were knotted at 33-33 at the break and the Gators posted the win to extend the team's win streak to three games. Junior Megan Bowman (Dannemora, NY/Saranac) posted a game-high 23 points and hit 11-of-14 free throws along the way. She was joined in double-digits by junior center Amie Jefferson (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) tallied her racked up her third straight double-double as she had 17 points and 12 rebounds. She hit 7-11 from the floor in leading the Gators. Jefferson moved into the No. 3 spot on Sage's career rebounding list as she has 533.
Junior guard Lea McClain (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen) added 10 points foe Sage, while sophomore Sara Tironi (Cambridge, NY/Cambridge Central) chipped in nine points.
Purchase had four players finish in double-digits but it was not enough as the Panthers were held to 33 second half points and a 39.1% shooting effort from the floor. Lineker St. Hilaire paced her team with 19 points, while Jazmin Garcia netted 18 points. Jess Lindsay added 14 points, while Elizabeth Osowiecki added 10 points for the Panthers.