Albany, NY—The Sage Colleges' women's basketball team will travel to Plattsburgh State University to compete in the 2018 Cardinal Basketball Tournament on November 16-17. The Gators will open the 2018-2019 season taking on Rowan University on Friday at 8 p.m., while the host Cardinals will face New England College at 6 p.m. also on Friday. The tournament wraps on Saturday, Nov. 17 with the consolation game at 1 p.m. and the championship game at 3 p.m.
The Gators are coming off an 18-8 season that saw the Gators garner a spot in the 2017-2018 Empire 8 Tournament after a 12-4 record in the league. Now in her fifth season at the helm of the Gators, Head Coach Allison Coleman returns seven letterwinners from last season's team.
Among the team's returning leaders is senior guard Emily Parslow (Fonda, NY/Fonda-Fultonville), who is poised to become the seventh player in program history to score 1,000 career points as she opens her final season with 963 points. She wrapped her junior campaign with 170 career three-point baskets and is second behind the career record currently held by Frankie Pearson (200, 213-2017).
Also returning is senior guard and another outside shooter, Macie Holmes (Amsterdam, NY/Mekeel Christian Academy), who earned the Gator of the Year Award last season. A recipient of the Empire 8 Sportsmanship Award as a junior, she tallied 6.7 ppg and elevated her career resume to include 119 treys with 170 assists in 82 games played.
Rounding out the Gator seniors is Lauren Cross (Moriah Center, NY/Moriah Central) who started seen of 26 games played a year ago with a 2.1 rpg average.
The junior class is paced by the play of returnees Danielle Stannard (Valley Falls, NY/Hoosic Valley Central), Gessica Patregnani (Troy, NY/Lansingburgh), Megan Flynn (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls Central) and a newcomer, NJCAA All-American Tanisha Edge (Saugerties, NY/Saugerties).
As a sophomore Flynn shot 50.9% from the floor and was a 26-game starter with a 7.8 ppg and 6.5 rpg average. She was the team's high rebounder five times last season. Stannard saw limited time with the squad last year but should help to make an impact this year. Patregnani has already played in 52 games at Sage and has 70 career three-pointers. She added 5.9 ppg as a sophomore and buried 29 three-pointers to go with her 21 assists. Edge comes to Sage after attending Columbia Greene Community College and led the region with her 22.7 ppg, while also shooting 42.3% from three-point range with 130 steals.
Sophomore guard Madasyn Bush (Pottersville, NY/North Warren Central) is back after an impressive rookie season that saw her earn a pair of Empire 8 Rookie of the Week awards, while adding 5.6 ppg and 4.4 rpg in 26 appearances.
The Gators' 2018-2019 newcomers have an impressive pedigree and will give Sage the talent needed to make a run at the league crown and a return to the NCAA Tournament. The Gator rookies include guard Sammy Pasinella (Troy, NY/Mechanicville), forwards Lily Batule (Slate Hill, NY/Minisink Valley), Eliza Whitman (Petersburgh, NY/Hoosick Falls Central), Kyra Oeffler (Green Island, NY/Heatly), Bailey Faulkner (Otego, NY/Unatego Central) and Emily Pike (Ticonderoga, NY/Ticonderoga).
The Gators will face non-league opponents this year on the road in RPI and Skidmore, while also travelling to Florida in mid-December to participate in the Cruzin Classic in Fort Lauderdale, where they will face Washington & Jefferson and Widener University. Additional non-conference foes for the Gators include home match-ups with Middlebury College on Nov. 29 in the team's 2018-2019 home opener in Kahl Gym. In December Sage will host DeSales University and Westfield State in non-league tilts before January finds the team in Empire 8 play the rest of the way.