Box Score OSWEGO, N.Y. – In the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) semifinal on Friday, The College at Brockport men's basketball team came up short against SUNY Oneonta, falling 85-72.
The Golden Eagles move to 19-7 on the year while the Red Dragons improve to 17-10 this season.
Opening their 2017 SUNYAC Tournament play, the Green and Gold came out fresh, pacing the contest, and looking comfortable on both ends of the court. Brockport worked out to a six-point lead, following a
David Clark layup and a triple and a jumper from
Devonn Gavin to post a 20-16 lead with just over 14 minutes to play.
Head coach
Greg Dunne's squad kept their foot on the pedal, pushing out to a 20-13 lead following a pair of
Clifton Lyerly free throws, and it wasn't long before a
Hamed Shamseldin steal turned fast-break points for Gavin, that lifted the Green and Gold 31-22 with under 8:30 to play.
A tough Oneonta squad wasn't ready to let up, as a Red Dragon 16-3 run erased the Brockport advantage, and it took a
Marcus Blythers layup to end the half, and cut the Green and Gold deficit to 38-36 to close the period.
Gavin already notched double-digits at the break with 12 points, while Lyerly and Blythers each added seven, with Blythers crashing the boards for six rebounds.
Oneonta extended their lead to start the second half, opening up with a 6-0 run to widen the gap to 44-36. Shamseldin ended the run with his first points of the night, grabbing his own rebound on a missed three and taking it straight to the rim for an easy layup.
The Red Dragons were able to keep up the defensive pressure, holding Brockport to 13 points in the first 12 minutes of the second half to open up a 59-49 lead and force a Brockport timeout.
Shamseldin kept the Green and Gold within striking distance, as he hit two straight field goals, including a three to bring them to within six. The Brockport offense struggled to produce consistently down the stretch, while the Red Dragons continued to post points.
Quick scores from Gavin and Blythers cut the Oneonta lead to single digits, 76-67, with 1:47 to play, but the Red Dragons stepped up at the line when it mattered. The Golden Eagles couldn't overcome their counterparts, falling 85-72.
Gavin finished leading the Green and Gold with 20 points, while three other Golden Eagles hit double digits with Smith posting 12, and Shamseldin and Blythers each netting 11. Blythers notched the double-double with 10 rebounds. Brockport forced 22 Oneonta turnovers which they used for 21 points, and had 18 second chance points.
The Golden Eagles will await their fate to see if they earn an at-large bid into the 2017 NCAA Division III Championship, with the bracket announced on Feb. 27 at 12:30 p.m.
Be sure to stay up to date on all of your Golden Eagle scores and awards by following @BportAthletics on Twitter and by liking the "Brockport Golden Eagles" Facebook page.
