Cobleskill, N.Y.: The SUNY Cobleskill men's basketball team dropped a 66-64 decision to the visiting Sage College Gators on Sunday evening at the Iorio Gymnasium in non-league action. The loss dropped the Fighting Tigers to 1-5 overall on the season while the Gators improved to 4-1 overall on the year.

After trailing by as many as 10 points early in the first half the Fighting Tigers took a 33-30 lead into the half when senior guard Bryan Backus, Walton, N.Y., Walton High School/SUNY Delhi, hit an off balanced three-pointer with five seconds remaining in the stanza. Cobleskill then jumped on the Gators to start the second half running out to a 39-32 on a lay-up by freshman swingman Taylor Sanders, Southampton, N.Y., Southampton High School.

Cobleskill held the lead until Sage tied the contest with 2:39 remaining when senior center Kai Deans, Miami, Fla., Monsignor Pace High School, took a pass from senior guard Troy Nwanna, Washington, D. C., Mercersburg Academy (Pa.), and dunked it home to tie the contest at 62-62.Deans later game the Gators the lead for good with 2:18 to play on a short jumper at 64-62.

The Fighting Tigers trailed 66-64 when senior guard Alexis Nunez, White Plains, N.Y., White Plains High School, drove to the basket with less than five seconds left and put up a shot over three Sage defenders which rimed out with Deans taking down the rebound with Nunez fouling him with 1.5 seconds left.
Deans then proceeded to miss a pair of free throws with Cobleskill taking down the rebound. Unfortunately for the Orange & Black, Nunez's 65-footer at the buzzer was off the mark to give the visitors the road win.

Kai Deans led all scorers in the game pacing the Gators with 23 points to go with six rebounds and a pair of blocked shots while junior guard Jordan McCray, Orlando, Fla., Wekiva High School, added 13 points and three assists. Sophomore swingman Brett Ullman, Sharon Springs, N.Y., Sharon Springs High School, was also a factor in the contest for Sage returning to his home county to score 11 points off the bench in the victory.

The Fighting Tigers were led in scoring by Alexis Nunez, White Plains, N.Y., White Plains High School with 14 points and three assists with junior center Travis Woods, Mount Upton, N.Y., Unatego High School, adding 11 points and three rebounds on the evening. Junior Swingman Brian Jackson, Bronx, N.Y., Global Enterprise Academy, came off the bench to contribute 11 points while senior forward Mike Chapman, Brooklyn, N.Y., School for Democracy & Leadership, pulled down a game high of 11 rebounds to go with seven points and three assists.

Cobleskill will return to action on Tuesday December 2 when they travel to Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y. to meet the Raptors of Bard College in non-league action beginning at 7:00 p.m. while Sage will also take to the court on Tuesday traveling to New York, N.Y. to open their Skyline Conference season versus the Maccabees of Yeshiva University with tip-off at 7:00 p.m.