SAGE MEN POST 92-88 ROAD WIN OVER HOUGHTON IN EMPIRE 8 MEN'S BASKETBALL ACTION
Houghton, NY – Sage's men's basketball team travelled to Houghton College for an Empire 8 contest on Saturday afternoon. The Gators finished the road trip with a 92-88 win over the Highlanders. With the win, Sage is now 10-8 overall and 3-4 in the league. Houghton drops to 3-14 overall and 1-5.
The Gators trailed by 13 points in the first half with 8:57 left to play as they were down 33-20. The Gators chipped away at Houghton's lead and took their first lead of the game at 2:56, 41-40 as senior center Joshua Gonzalez (Albany, NY/Canajoharie) hit a layup. After a free throw by Houghton's Billy McCrae at 2:13, Sage went on to take the lead into the locker room up 48-45.
Houghton tied the game in the second half, 68-68 with 9:30 left to play and the two teams exchanged baskets before Sage got a layup from sophomore Deonte Sherwood (Orange Park, FL/Oakleaf) at 7:50 and was fouled on the play to give Sage the 73-71 lead. Sage would not lose the lead down the stretch and led by as many as nine points (82-73, 3:39) en route to the key league win.
Sherwood capped the game with a personal-best 20 points after shooting 8-19 from the floor with three rebounds and three assists. Sophomore Tyler Mitchell (Bronx, NY/All Hallows) a career-best 16 points off the bench for Sage after making 5-of-7 field goals and was 4-4 from the line with a pair of three pointers and four steals. Sage sophomore guard Jalon Borders (Bartow, FL/Bartow) and Gonzalez each finished with 13 points, while Gonzalez led the team on the boards with eight rebounds.
Sophomore center Stuart Phair (Canberra, Australia/Tyler Christian School) picked up 10 points with a pair of blocks, while sophomore Amani Cummings (Brooklyn, NY/Transit Tech) added nine points off the bench. Sophomore Jason Geronimo (Orlando, FL/Colonial) picked up six points with three rebounds.
Houghton's starting lineup all finished in double-digit scoring paced by 19 points apiece from both Isander Ramos-Net and Billy McCrae. McCrae added a double-double with his team-best 11 rebounds.
After Saturday's game, Phair is now 8th in career blocked shots at Sage with 37, while Geronimo is also now 14th in rebounding right behind Gonzalez. Gonzalez checks in with 248 boards, while Geronimo has 235.
Sage is on the road with a game on January 28 at Elmira for a 5:30 p.m. in Empire 8 contest.
