WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Russell Sage College began its weekend at the University of Saint Joseph Tip-Off Tournament by defeating Saint Mary's College of Maryland 62-43 tonight.
The Gators trailed for only 0:41 of the non-conference victory. RSC started 8-of-12 from the field to hold a 20-9 lead after the first quarter and 30-17 at the break.
Guard Layla Acosta (Haines City, FL/Haines City) led the Gators with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting. The sophomore, who tallied 12 of her points after halftime, grabbed seven rebounds, and registered a pair of assists.
Junior guard Malena Gereau (Schroon Lake, NY/Schroon Lake Central) added 12 points, while junior guard Gwen Eichen (Moriah, NY/Moriah Central) had a career-high nine points on 3-of-3 shooting.
Freshman forward Kallie Hopkins (Millsboro, DE/Poly Tech) established collegiate bests of eight points and 10 rebounds in the neutral-site victory.
RSC, which led by as many as 21, made 51.2 percent of its field goals.
Sophomore guard Sam Blaylock topped Saint Mary's (2-2) with 20 points and four rebounds. Sophomore guard Tray Mobray contributed 16 points, four steals, and four rebounds.
The Gators (1-1) will face the host Blue Jays tomorrow at 2:00 pm.
Gator Bites: RSC is coming off its second-consecutive appearance in the Empire 8 Conference Championship Tournament Semifinals…10 players returned from the team…They joined five newcomers to make up this year's roster…Head coach Allison Coleman began her tenth season at the helm with an overall record of 136-84.
