ALBANY, NY— For the second day in a row it looked like the Houghton Highlanders might pull off a furious come-from-behind victory.  But the Russell Sage Gators held on down the stretch, defeating the Highlanders, 75-67, thanks in large part to 31 trips to the foul line.
 
The Gators converted 22-of-31 shots from the charity stripe, far outdistancing the Highlanders, who attempted only four free throws, converting three.
 
Like yesterday, the home team Gators surged out to an early advantage, leading Houghton, 24-11, at the end of the first quarter.
 
The Highlanders battled back, slowly chipping away at the double-digit deficit that reached as many as 22 points in the second quarter, pulling to within as few as two points on a third quarter Kayla Camacho layup.
 
While Houghton continued to knock on the door, the Gators refused to relinquish the lead.  After Carlee Miller sank a layup to pull the Highlanders to within three with just over two minutes to play, Russell Sage answered with a layup of their own and three unanswered free throws to seal the game.
 
GAME VITALS
Score: Houghton – 67 | Russell Sage – 75
Records: Houghton: 10-4 (3-4 Empire 8) | Russell Sage: 9-5 (5-2 Empire 8)
Venue: Kahl Gymnasium, Sage Colleges| Attendance: 120

NOTABLE STATS
>> Crysta Lacrosse led the Highlanders in scoring for the fifth time this season and the second in as many days, pitching in 18 points and adding five assists.
 
>> Camacho scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Miller reached double-digits for the 12^th time this season, scoring 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting.
 
>> Three Highlanders fouled out of today's game, the first time this season more than one has reached the five-foul limit. Zero Gators fouled out.
 
>> The past three times the Highlanders have played the Gators in Albany, Sage has made 78 trips to the foul line, while Houghton has visited the strip only 17 times.
 
COACH'S CORNER
"The fight from [every member] of our group all weekend was outstanding.  This group is special and that's all I can really say.
 
"We have to stop putting ourselves in a hole early in the game, but on the flip-side we learned a lot about how mentally tough we truly are.
 
"The team did everything right to win the game, but it's hard to win a college basketball game when the free-throw difference is 31-4.  I feel bad for our team in that regard, but we know it's on us at the end of the day to keep getting better.
 
"I'm so excited to see this group respond over the next couple of days.  I have no doubt we will keep learning and adjusting to adversity." – Head Coach Phil Pellegrino
 
UP NEXT
The Highlanders remain on the road this upcoming Tuesday, when they will travel to Elmira to take on the Soaring Eagles at 5:30 p.m.