ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Nazareth College closed the first half on a 31-13 run to defeat visiting Russell Sage College 86-60 in Saturday afternoon Empire 8 Conference action.
On a day where the Golden Flyers were honoring the 40th Anniversary of their 1983-84 Elite Eight squad, the Gators started with a fury, scoring the first six points. Nazareth (12-6/9-1 E8), which shot 50.0 percent from the field, including 51.9 percent from three-point range, withstood the early RSC barrage then countered with what proved to be the game-deciding stretch.
RSC, which trailed for the final 33:13, received five points from seven different players. Junior guard Noah Girard (Glens Falls, NY/Glens Falls) led the group with 17 points, while senior center Will Ruiz (Bronx, NY/Wings Academy), coming off a career-high 21 point performance on Friday night at Saint John Fisher, added eight points on 4-of-7 shooting.
Guard Logan Blankenberg topped all participants with 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting. The grad student, one of four Golden Flyers in double figures, grabbed nine rebounds in the home triumph.
The Gators (8-11/1-9 E8) return home to host Keuka on Friday at 7:30 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: Girard, 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 concluded the weekend leading the Gators with 16.5 points per-game, good for sixth in the E8... He recorded 31 points, a career-high, on 10-of-16 shooting in the November 18 win at SUNY Poly...Brown adds 9.8 points per-game, while Williamson averaged 8.1 points and 6.0 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 began the week ranked second in the E8 by allowing 68.3 points per-game.
