Albany, NY: The SUNY Cobleskill men's basketball team battled hard but fell short, 68-61, against Russell Sage College on Friday night at the Kahl Campus Center.

First-year swingman Marquay Tanksley (Cohoes, NY) led the Fighting Tigers with a stellar performance, scoring 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting and 4-of-5 from the free throw line. Tanksley also added three rebounds, two steals, and a block. Second-year guard Elijah Morris (Mount Vernon, NY) contributed 14 points and a game-high four steals while hitting 5-of-6 free throws. Quanire Greene (Albany, NY/Bishop Maginn) chipped in 12 points, three rebounds, and an assist, while senior big man Jermaine Wheeler (Manhattan, NY/Marist) was dominant in the paint, hauling in a career-high 20 rebounds, including 13 on the defensive end, along with seven points.

The Tigers struggled offensively, shooting 31.4% from the field compared to the Gators' 35.9%. Russell Sage also capitalized on Cobleskill's 23 fouls, attempting 36 free throws to Cobleskill's 18, despite shooting only 55.6% from the line. The Gators dominated the glass with a commanding 64-37 rebounding advantage and outscored Cobleskill 25-14 in fast break points. While Cobleskill committed fewer turnovers (12 to 21), they couldn't overcome Sage's edge in key areas.

After a slow start, Cobleskill found themselves trailing 9-4 with 13:16 remaining in the first half. Despite offensive struggles, the Tigers chipped away at the deficit, highlighted by a tough layup by Greene that cut the lead to 25-17 with under two minutes left in the half. A pull-up jumper by Tanksley made it 25-19, and free throws from Morris and Wheeler brought the Tigers within two, 25-23, at the break.

The Gators opened the second half with a strong push, but Cobleskill responded with back-to-back three-pointers from Adrian Beato (Beacon, NY) and Morris, narrowing the gap to 45-41 with 9:54 to play. Tanksley's layup pulled the Tigers within two, but Sage answered with an 8-0 run to extend their lead to 54-44. Despite a late rally, Cobleskill was unable to close the gap, as Sage held on for the 68-61 win.

The Fighting Tigers will return to action on Monday, January 6, when they travel to Thomas College for a North Atlantic Conference matchup. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.