EAST ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The College at Brockport men's basketball team used their strong inside play to outmatch Hobart College on Saturday in the final round of the Wendy's College Classic, 82-81.
 
The Golden Eagles improve to 4-1 on the year while handing the Statesmen their third loss of the season, moving to 4-2.
 
After an Olusola Adeniran layup to knot the contest 2-2 in the early minutes of play, the Golden Eagles were forced to play catch up. Hamed Shamsedin knocked down a three after a five-point Hobart swing to make the count 7-5.
 
At the 17-minute mark, Matthew Smith weaved through the lane to pull Brockport within two at 9-7. A 10-0 Statesmen run put the Golden Eagles on their heels, but back-to-back layups from Smith cut the deficit to 21-11 with 12:36 to play.
 
David Clark knocked down a big three ball to bring the Golden Eagles back within single digits at 21-29. That sparked the Brockport offense, and the Green and Gold pulled within five after a Clifton Lyerly trey made the count 38-33 with 2:11 to play. A Shamseldin layup to close the half kept the Brockport deficit at just five heading into the halftime.
 
At the break, Lyerly led the Golden Eagles with eight points and three rebounds. Adeniran chipped in seven points and four rebounds, while Matthew Smith netted six. The Green and Gold shot 43.3 percent in the half and picked up 20 first-half rebounds.
 
It didn't take long for the Golden Eagles to chip further away at the Hobart advantage in the second half, when a 13-4 run down to the 10:52 mark gave Brockport their first lead after a Shamseldin bucket from downtown made the score 55-52.
 
With the lead now secured, the Brockport focus shifted from catch-up to holding off a hot Hobart squad. At the eight-minute mark, a Statesmen three brought the game to within one, but a timely Adeniran bucket made the count 61-58.
 
Hobart continued to charge, moving within a point on several occasions, but the Golden Eagles were able to hold off the Statesmen, due in large part to their sound paint play. Back-to-back layups from Smith and Shamseldin worked the Brockport lead out to 68-65 with six minutes in regulation.
 
A statement dunk from Adeniran set the tone in the waning minutes to give the Golden Eagles a 77-71 boost. Despite a five-point Hobart swing after a three and a pair of free throws, a Smith free throw sealed the deal, and a last second Statemen three made no difference as the Golden Eagles posted an 82-81 win.
 
A powerful second half helped Brockport outmatch the Statesmen in several categories, most notably in the paint, when the Golden Eagles won a 42-14 battle. The Green and Gold also capitalized on second chance points (19-12), and points off turnovers (22-9), while shooting a hot 49.2 percent from the field.
 
Shamseldin led all scorers with a 22-point performance, to go with five rebounds and three assists. Smith notched a season high 17-points also with three assists, with Adeniran also firing a season-high with 15 points. Lyerly and Clark each netted nine points in rout to the win.
 
The Golden Eagles will be back in action in the Land of Magic Classic on Dec. 28 against Bridgewater State University in Daytona, Fla. Be sure to stay up to date on all your Golden Eagle scores and awards by following @BportAthletics on Twitter and by liking the "Brockport Golden Eagles" Facebook page.