ONEONTA, N.Y. - The Hartwick Men's Basketball team capped off their final contest of the 2024-25, being outlasted by the Russell Sage Gators at Lambros Arena.

THE BASICS

• Final Score: Russell Sage 77 Hartwick 69

• Location: Oneonta, N.Y.

• Records: Russell Sage (16-9, 9-7 Empire 8) Hartwick (3-22, 3-13 Empire 8)  

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Before the contest, the Men's Basketball program honored their lone senior Brian Bonin (Cicero, N.Y.).

• The Hawks opened the game with contagious energy, Mike Gitz (Commack, N.Y.) drilled two deep threes to ignite his squad.

• Isaiah Thomas (Manitou Springs, CO) sank a pull-up jumper and connected on a three pointer of his own as Hartwick sprung out to a 10 point lead.

• Bonin got his senior night started, sinking the pull-up trey to cap off the red hot five minute start.

• Malachi Polson (Bay Shore, N.Y.) made an instant impact off the bench, connecting on the jumper behind the arc, as well as sinking a tough layup in traffic and a pull-up jumper from the free throw line.

• The Hawks maintained their double-digit lead for the rest of the first half as they fired on all cylinders, connecting from the interior as well as from downtown.

• After a solid first half, Henry Perkins (Albany, N.Y.) continued to set the tone down low, overpowering his defender for the bucket after a scoreless two minutes for the team.

• Russell Sage slowly crept their way back into the contest as the Hawk offense hit a cold streak in the opening ten minutes, costly turnovers kept the door open for the Gators to strike.

• With Hartwick up by seven with less than ten minutes remaining, a Sage three pointer and an and-one opportunity brought them within two with momentum.

• Perkins continued to impose his will down low, sinking the layup to give the Hawks some breathing room with eight minutes left.

• The Royal Blue and White struggled to find a bucket down the stretch, the Hawks conceded their lead for the first time with five and a half minutes left but Shane Micallef (Warwick, N.Y.) converted his free throws to tie the game up once again.

• As the Gators retook the lead, Hartwick was unable to claw their way back into the contest, falling to Russell Sage Gators.

• Perkins led the scoring with 18 points, corralling a season high 16 rebounds. Polson, Bonin, and Gitz finished in double figures as well, Polson connected for 14, Bonin and Gitz poured in 11.

About Hartwick College:

Hartwick, often referred to as The Life Balance College, is a private liberal arts and sciences institution in Oneonta, N.Y. Through its distinctive FlightPath approach, Hartwick blends academic excellence, career preparation and an active campus life to help students achieve a balanced and fulfilling college experience. With transparent tuition and a focus on health and wellness, Hartwick prepares students for lifelong success—both professionally and personally.