BROCKPORT, N.Y. – The College at Brockport women's basketball team faced off against SUNY Cortland in a regular season finale. The two units battle ferociously as they looked to secure a place in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) playoffs. A dominating offensive presence through four allowed the Golden Eagles to pick up a 60-45 win against the Red Dragons, securing them a fifth-place finish heading into the post season.
The Golden Eagles enter the playoffs with an overall record of 10-15 and a conference mark of 8-10, while the Red Dragons sit at 12-12 on the season and 8-10 in SUNYAC competition.
Zaria McCullough jump started the offense to start the game scoring twice and assisting on another bucket to bring the score to 6-0 in just over two minutes of play. After the Red Dragons chipped in four points,
Julianna Taylor converted two free throws and a layup to push the advantage back to six. After trading points,
Kylee Rosbrook nailed a three-pointer at the horn to take a 16-9 advantage into the second frame.
The scoring continued entering the next quarter, as Taylor hit another jump shot before senior,
Emily Nestler, made two free-throws and a jumper to push the score to 22-9 with eight minutes to go. After a scoreless five-minute stretch, Rosbrook put Brockport back on the board with a pair of free-throws. At the half, the Green and Gold lead the Red Dragons 29-21.
The lead once again grew to double digits in the third quarter, as Taylor and Nestler got to the paint and converted layups, bringing the score to 35-24. From there, Brockport had an answer for every bucket the Red Dragons made. Nestler's impressive post presence continued to earn the team points and a three-point play by
Chelsea Henry gave the Golden Eagles clear momentum with four minutes to go in the frame. The Green and Gold were defensively sound, holding the opposition to just nine points and headed into the fourth quarter up 42-30.
Despite the Red Dragons pulling the game back under ten to start the fourth, the Golden Eagles were able to maintain momentum and answer back with buckets of their own. Nestler, Taylor, and Henry each put up big points in the final minutes to hold off the Red Dragons before the buzzer. The three each led the Golden Eagles to victory with double-digit points, netting 19, 13, and 12 points respectively. Nestler capped off her last game in Jim and John Vlogianitis Gymnasium, adding 12 rebounds and four blocks to her 19 points.
The Golden Eagles are predicted to see the Red Dragons on the road again in the first round of the playoffs on Tuesday.
Be sure to stay up to date on all your Golden Eagle news, scores, and awards by following @BportAthletics on Twitter and by like the "Brockport Golden Eagles" Facebook page.
