NCAA BASKETBALL: Sage women’s, men’s basketball earn E8 honors

ALBANY, N.Y.

Russell Sage College (RSC) Gators womens basketball had three players earn All-Empire 8 Conference honors.

Results of the voting, conducted by the leagues head coaches, were announced ThursdayJunior Layla Acosta garnered second-team accolades.

The guard, a third-team All-E8 selection last year, concluded her season ranked eighth in the E8 in scoring at 12.8 points per game and led the E8 with an 89.0 free throw percentage.

She scored in double figures 18 times, including four 20+ point performances, and made 34.1 percent of her shot attempts.

The guard closed the season atop the programs career record book with an 83.2 free throw percentage and ranked sixth among Gators with 129 career-made three-pointers.

She finished the year with 873 career points, 127 away from becoming the tenth RSC player to reach the 1,000 career points milestone.Senior guard Malena Gereau earned third-team honors.

The co-captain began the week ranked eleventh in the E8 with 12.3 points per game.

She registered three double-doubles and averaged 6.6 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.5 assists.

Gereau tallied double figures 16 times, eclipsed 20 points on three occasions, and reeled in double-digit boards six times.One member of each team was named that institutions representative on the 2024-25 E8 Womens Basketball Sportswomen of the Year Team.

The Empire 8 Conference emphasizes that Competing with Honor and Integrity is an essential component of a student-athletes experience in conjunction with an institutions educational mission.

These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportswomen.

Senior guard Olivia Huneau, of Cohoes, represented the Gators on the squad.The trio helped RSC (11-15/9-7 E8) qualify for the E8 Conference Championship Tournament for the fifth time in program history.Russell Sage College mens basketball sophomore forward Avery Oduro-Dompreh was voted the 2024-25 Empire 8 Conference Defensive Player of the Year, highlighting the five Gators that earned All-Conference honors.Our coaching staff is incredibly proud of our Empire 8 award winners this season, head coach Brian Barnes said.

This was a special group for us to coach and we are appreciative of their collective efforts to return to Empire 8 postseason play.The forward led the Conference with 36 total blocks, 1.4 per game, and was tied for fourth in the E8 in rebounding at 7.5 per game.

He helped RSC (16-10/9-7 E8) lead the Conference in team defense at 66.5 points per game and qualify for the Conference Championship Tournament for the fourth time in program history.

Opponents only made 39.0 percent of their field goal attempts and 27.5 percent from three-point range against the Gators, good for twenty-first and seventh nationally.

Oduro-Dompreh, who averaged 10.4 points on 62.4 percent shooting, tallied 19 steals and 31 assists on the season.

The forward registered five double-doubles had 11 multiple-block performances, and grabbed double-digit boards on seven occasions.We couldnt be happier for Avery winning Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year this season, Barnes remarked.

Avery is an outstanding teammate whose overall development continues to impress our coaching staff.

His defensive versatility allowed us to be amongst the Nations best in defensive field goal % and one of the best in Empire 8 Conference play in points per game allowed.

We are looking forward to his continued growth in our program and an exciting year to build on.He closed his sophomore campaign atop the programs career record book with a 60.3 made field goal percentage, and fifth with 1.1 blocks per game.

The forward has 53 career blocks, the ninth-most by an RSC player.Junior guard Trevor Green, of Troy, was voted second-team All-E8.

He averaged 12.8 points on 40.4 percent shooting and 6.5 rebounds, good for tenth in the Conference.

The junior, who dished out 3.0 assists per game, tied for third in the E8 with 2.0 steals per game and tied for seventh in the Conference with 0.8 blocks per game.

Green scored in double figures 12 times, surpassed 20 points on four occasions, and registered five double-doubles.

The guard passed out six assists twice during his RSC debut season.Trevor Green had an outstanding season despite missing some key Conference games in February, Barnes commented.

He showed night in and night out that he was one of the top all-around players in the Empire 8.

We believe in Trevor and his potential to be a Player of the Year candidate next season.Junior guard Brandon Harris and senior guard Noah Girard, of Glens Falls, made the third team.Harris, the E8 Player of the Week for the period ending Sunday, Feb.

2, topped the Gators in scoring at 12.9 points per game.

He knocked down 40.1 percent of his field goals while averaging 5.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.1 steals.

The junior tallied 32 points at Alfred on Jan.

31, tied for fourth-most in a game by an RSC player.Brandon Harris really stepped up at a key point in the season for us, Barnes noted.

He showed that he can score with the best of them and is one of the better all-around players in the Empire 8.

We are incredibly proud of his development this season and look forward to helping him take another step forward next year.Girard, who earned third-team All-E8 honors last season, is easy to find in the RSC Record Book.

The two-year co-captain, the programs career leader with 157 made three-pointers, concluded the campaign with 1,149 career points, third-most by an RSC player.

He totaled 140 career steals, 205 career assists, and 414 career-made field goals, good for second, third, and third respectively among Gators.

Girard, who played in 97 career games, fourth-most by an RSC player, averaged 12.2 points on 38.3 percent shooting, 35.9 percent from beyond the arc, 2.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.5 steals this season.Were thrilled for Noah as only our second player ever to earn multiple all Empire 8 Conference recognition, Barnes said.

That is a testament to his hard work and dedication to our program.

He will undoubtedly be missed as hes had his fingerprints all over our return to Empire 8 postseason play.

Thank you, Noah!One member of each team was named that institutions representative on the 2024-25 E8 Mens Basketball Sportsmen of the Year Team.

The Empire 8 Conference emphasizes that Competing with Honor and Integrity is an essential component of a student-athletes experience in conjunction with an institutions educational mission.

These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportsmen.

Senior forward Todd Williamson, of Schenectady, represented the Gators on the squad.Todd Williamson has grown so much in his two years as a Gator captain, Barnes explained.

He always puts the team above himself and exemplifies our program core values on a daily basis.

An outstanding representative of our program, were excited to honor Todd with his selection to the Empire 8 All Sportsman team.

Todd will be a success in whatever he chooses in life and were so thankful for his many contributions to our program.Russell Sage College mens basketball forward Avery Oduro-Dompreh.

(PROVIDED PHOTO VIA RUSSELL SAGE COLLEGE ATHLETICS)..

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