Hackett's double-double lifts Sage, 59-48
Rookie Kara Hackett led all players with her 26 points and 16 rebounds as Sage knocked off NYU-Poly.
Albany, NY--- The Sage College women's basketball team hosted NYU-Poly on Saturday in the Kahl Campus Center on Saturday afternoon in a Skyline Conference game. Sage tallied the 58-49 victory behind the play of rookie forward Kara Hackett (Peru, NY/Peru Central) as she racked up 26 points and 16 rebounds. Sage improves to 8-10 overall and 6-7 in the Skyline Conference, while NYU-Poly drops to 7-10 overall and 4-8 in the league.
Sage led 29-26 at the half as Hackett connected on for a double-double in the first half with 12 points and 10 rebounds. She helped the Gators overcome an eight-point deficit in the first stanza as she shot 6-13 and racked up seven defensive rebounds in the run. By game's end, she had a double-double on 26 points and 16 rebounds, both efforts just one shy of her career-best numbers. She hit 12 of 20 field goal attempts on the day and was 2-2 from the line as Sage snapped a two-game losing streak with the win.
NYU-Poly's sophomore forward Margaux Pickell (Howell, NJ/Howell) led the team on the boards with eight first half rebounds but struggled shooting as she was 1-10 from the floor. She finished with eight points and 14 rebounds for the Blue Jays, while freshman guard Shelby Bruns (Elko, NV/Elko) added 11 points and sophomore forward Kristin Leitheuser (Millbrook, NY/Arlington) had 10 points with eight rebounds.
NYU-Poly struggled on the day with shooting woes as they were 16-71 for the game (25.0%), but held a 51-46 edge on the boards.
Sage's rookie guard Ashleigh Nelson (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) was the team's second leading scorer as she tied her career-best with nine points after making 3-4 from three-point range.
Sage returns to action on Wednesday, February 3 hosting Mount Saint Mary College in the Neff Athletic Center at 6 p.m., while NYU-Poly travels to City Tech on February 1 for a 6 p.m. non-conference game.
