North Adams, MA – Russell Sage College men's basketball team travelled to Massachusetts for a non-conference match-up with the Trailblazers of MCLA. MCLA led 34-33 at the break and rallied late in the game for the 73-66 win. MCLA moves to 4-5 on the year, while RSC falls to 2-4.
RSC got a career-high 21 points from sophomore guard Noah Girard (Glens Falls, NY/Glens Falls) after he hit 3-of-4 shots from three-point range including a three-pointer at 2:53 to give the Gators a 63-60 lead. Junior guard Jackson Brown (Latham, NY/Catholic Central) followed up that basket with a three-pointer of his own at the 2:21 mark to give RSC a 66-62 lead.
Down the stretch, MCLA's Noah Yearsley had a pair of three-pointers to give MCLA a 68-66 lead with 1:06 left. MCLA, which only shot 44.4% from the free throw line, would take advantage of RSC's foul troubles and made 5-of-10 free throws in the final minute of the game to seal the win. Yearsley made three of six shots in the final 40 seconds of the game en route to a game-high 24 points with 12 rebounds for MCLA.
Brown, who was 9-9 from the line, finished with 19 points with four rebounds and three steals, while sophomore forward Todd Williamson (Schenectady, NY/Notre Dame Bishop Gibbons) had 13 points with eight rebounds for the Gators.
RSC returns to action on Friday hosting Utica University in the team's Empire 8 opener at Robinson Gym at the Kahl Campus Center. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. as the Gators hold their Jersey Night encouraging fans to wear their favorite team's jerseys to the game.
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