PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Russell Sage College saw its Empire 8 Conference Championship Tournament run come to a close with tonight's 75-71 Semifinal loss to Nazareth.

Sophomore guard Syrita Faraj (Troy, NY/Tamarac), who was announced as the E8 Player of the Year on Wednesday, led the Gators, the three seed, with 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting and 10 rebounds.

Forward Giuliana Pritchard (Amsterdam, NY/Amsterdam/Hartwick), a graduate student that was a second-team All-Conference pick, added 18 points.

Freshman guard Layla Acosta (Haines City, FL/Haines City) and sophomore guard Lauren Sanderson (Ravena, NY/RCS) each registered nine points, while senior guard Sammy Pasinella (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville), the ninth RSC player to surpass 1,000 career points, contributed eight points and a team-high three assists.

The second-seeded Golden Flyers (19-7), which shot 52.0 percent from the field, featured a balanced attack with four players tallying twin figures.

Guard/forward Jadyn Abrams, a graduate student, led Nazareth with 18 points, with freshman guard Kiara Anglin scoring 17 points off the bench. 

Nazareth, which led for 91.0 percent of the playoff contest, including 42-39 at the break, appeared to break things open with a 13-2 run spanning the third and fourth quarters. Down 11 at 64-53, RSC (17-10) answered with a 12-0 run across 3:27 to go up one, 65-64 with 2:22 left. Pasinella, who ended the night seventh in program records with 1,037 career points, completed the jaunt with a three-pointer.

Adams put the Golden Flyers back in front with a layup on the next possession, before Nazareth got a steal and a pair of foul shots to regain some cushion.  The free throws were part of a 6-for-8 effort by Naz during the final 1:39.

Nazareth plays at top-seeded Saint John Fisher in Saturday's title game. Tip-off is set for 3:00 pm.

Notes: The Gators made their third appearance in the E8 Championship Tournament…RSC reached the semifinals in each of its runs, including making the championship game in 2020…Sophomore guard Syrita Faraj (Troy, NY/Tamarac) was announced as the E8 Player of the Year on Wednesday…She entered the playoffs as the conference's leading scorer with 20.0 points per-game…The 2021-22 E8 Rookie of the Year ranked fifth in rebounding and in field goal percentage…Faraj eclipsed 500 career points on Dec. 29 vs. Rhode Island College…She scored 32 points, fifth-most in a game by an RSC player, twice this season (1/28, 2/4)…Forward Giuliana Pritchard (Amsterdam, NY/Amsterdam/Hartwick), a graduate student, earned second-team All-Conference honors…The transfer filled up the box score this season…She began the postseason ranked third in the E8 in scoring (15.4), second in rebounding (10.1), and third in both blocks per-game (1.3) and assists per-game (3.6)…Pritchard, who registered 13 double-doubles, surpassed 1,000 career collegiate points on Jan. 13 vs. Medaille...Senior guard Sammy Pasinella (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) became the ninth Gator to score 1,000 career points on Feb. 11 at Medaille…The two-time All-Conference selection ended the night ranked seventh in program records with 1,037 career points...She made 170 three-pointers in her career, good for third among Gators…Head coach Allison Coleman, in her ninth season at the helm, sports an overall record of 136-84…She secured her 125th career victory on Dec. 3, 2022 vs. Keuka.

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