PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The College at Brockport men's basketball team handed previously unbeaten Plattsburgh State its first loss in SUNYAC play on Saturday, downing the league-leading Cardinals, 74-63.
 
The Golden Eagles improve to 10-6 on the season and 5-4 in conference action while the Cardinals fall to 12-3 on the year and 7-1 in league play.
 
Three Golden Eagles scored in double-figures on the night, with Devonn Gavin leading the charge with 19 points. Clifton Lyerly chipped in 13 points to go with six boards, while Matthew Smith netted 10, grabbing six rebounds and dishing out four assists. Hamed Shamseldin and Patrick Modzelewski each added eight points, while Olusola Adeniran netted seven points.
 
Brockport shot an even 40 percent (26-of-65) on the night, with a 43.5 percent (10-of-23) effort from three-point range. The Golden Eagles also shot their highest free-throw percentage of the season, firing 92.3 percent. The Green and Gold just edged their counterparts in the paint, with a tally of 30-28, while capitalizing off 15 Cardinal turnovers with 15 points.
 
A 15-0 run got things moving for the Golden Eagles, who by the 13:18 mark had worked out to what would be their largest lead of the contest at 17-5. Solid defense and strong play on the boards helped the Golden Eagles work out to the 12-point advantage, after a three from Smith sparked the offense.
 
A 13-2 Cardinal run worked the Brockport lead down to just one with 5:32 to play in the half, but the Golden Eagles were able to reestablish their distance after trips to the free throw line for Shamseldin and Adeniran and a Lyerly jumper made the count 31-24.
 
The Green and Gold closed out their strong first half with a 7-2 run, to post a 38-28 lead at the break.
 
Gavin led all scorers at the half with 10 points, while Shamseldin added eight. Brockport shot 40.6 percent (13-of-32) in the first half, with 44.4 percent (4-for-9) coming from beyond the arc.
 
A fiery Plattsburgh squad came out of the break, and by the 15:52 mark had erased any Brockport advantage. The Golden Eagles were able to hold the Cardinals at bay for some time, but by the 11:04 mark, the Cardinals had taken their first lead in the contest since the opening minutes of play.
 
An unfazed Brockport squad continued to fight back, and after a Lyerly trey, the Golden Eagles regained their lead at 59-55 and never looked back. An 11-2 run, featuring scores from Marcus Blythers, Smith and Gavin, down to the 1:40 mark gave the Green and Gold a 72-61 lead. The Golden Eagles would hold on, posting a 74-63 win over the Cardinals.
 
Brockport will return home for their next pair of contests, as the Golden Eagles get set to host SUNY Geneseo on Jan. 29, followed by a run in with SUNY Cortland on Feb. 2.
 
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.