ALBANY, N.Y. – Russell Sage College secured its first Empire 8 Conference victory of the season by defeating visiting Hartwick 76-56 tonight.
The Gators, which shot 52.6 percent from the field, including 41.7 percent from beyond the arc, took control by closing the first half on a 22-3 run.
Senior Tahirou Hamidou (Bronx, NY/Carolina Basketball Academy/Livingstone) registered a double-double of 14 points on 7-of-12 shooting and 13 rebounds. The forward, one of three Gators with double figures in the home E8 win, now has seven career double-doubles, three of which have come this season.
Hartwick (1-13/0-7 E8), now on a eight-game slide, featured a balanced offense with five players recording between six and ten points.
Tonight wrapped up a stretch of four-straight home games for RSC (8-8/1-6 E8). The Gators play next at Houghton on Saturday at 4:00 pm.
Gator Bites: Head coach Brian Barnes is in his 15th season at the helm of the Gators…Seven returnees and eight newcomers comprise this year's roster…The team's co-captains: junior guard Noah Girard (Glens Falls, NY/Glens Falls), senior guard Jackson Brown (Latham, NY/Catholic Central/Fredonia State) and junior forward Todd Williamson (Schenectady, NY/Notre Dame Bishop Gibbons) helped the Gators get off to a 4-0 start…Girard began the week leading the Gators with 17.1 points per-game, good for fifth in the E8... He recorded 31 points, a career-high, on 10-of-16 shooting in the November 18 win at SUNY Poly...Brown added 10.8 points per-game, while Williamson averaged 8.2 points and 6.2 rebounds...An RSC player has taken home Empire 8 Conference Rookie of the week on four occasions...Freshman center Khalel Noteman (Brooklyn, NY/Canarsie) was picked three times (November 13, November 27, December 4), while freshman guard Deavion Springsteen (Albany, NY/Albany) was chosen on November 20...RSC entered tonight ranked third in the conference by allowing 68.1 points per-game.
