ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - The effort it takes to come back from 13 down in the first half and 10 down in the second half has its price.

The toll was too great for Bard on Tuesday night.

In a game Bard never led, the Raptors clawed their way into a tie, 57-57, with 9:02 remaining in the game, only to see Sage respond with an 11-2 run en route to a 90-74 victory in the season opener for both teams.

The Gators' suffocating full court pressure was the difference. The pressed and trapped from the first minute to the last minute, and Bard turned it over 26 times. But it was still a game late.

Bard trimmed an 18-5 first half deficit to five by halftime, and Sage pushed the lead back up to 10 less than two minutes into the second half. Bard hung around, trailing by seven, 55-48, with 12:33 to go.

That's when the Raptors made another big push. Newcomer David Runcie scored six straight points - a tip-in, two free throws, then a jumper - and it was 57-54. An old-fashioned three point play by Pat Kelly tied the game at 57-57 with 9:02 left, sending the Bard faithful into a frenzy.

Three of Bard's next four possessions ended in turnovers against the press, however, spurring the 11-2 run by Sage. A three-pointer by Rob Mills (Newburgh, NY) ended the spurt, making it 68-59 with 6:36 to go. Bard didn't get closer than six the rest of the way. The Raptors were done in by the press and 20 missed free throws.

Mills led Sage with 21 points and three of the Gators' 15 steals. Marcus Patterson (Bronx, NY) added 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Davon Sylvester (Bronx, NY) added 14 points and three assists.

Runcie had 23 points in his Bard debut - 17 in the second half. He went 6-for-7 from the field and 10-for-12 from the line. Armando Dunn added 17 points and 13 rebounds (nine offensive), and Harry Johnson added 10 points.

Bard next plays in the Hilton Scranton Invitational. The Raptors will play Penn State-Abington on Friday at 5:30, then either Sarah Lawrence or Scranton on Saturday. Follow both games live right here.