Daytona Beach, FL – The SUNY Brockport men's basketball team faced off against Penn State Altoona on Monday for its first matchup at the Mauro Panaggio Tournament, hosted by DME Academy. Brockport pulled out a hard-fought win over the Lions, by a final score of 74-62.
David Grady III posted his first double-double of the season with 14 points and a season-high 16 boards. Grady was 6-for-9 from the field offensively and had four blocks on the other end.
Devante Hagins led all scorers with a season-high 20 points on 10-of-13 shooting, while adding seven rebounds and four steals.
Jahidi Wallace was 8-for-11 at the charity stripe on his way to 18 points and seven rebounds in the game. Despite falling into some early foul trouble,
Mekhi Beckett also hit double figures with 10 points in the win.
David Grady III and
Devante Hagins were both efficient in the first half, shooting a combined 7-for-10 with 16 points for the Green and Gold. Penn State Altoona drew contact and got to the foul line all half, going 13-of-17 at the line. The score was tight the majority of the first 20 minutes, but the Golden Eagles were ahead for over 19 minutes of action. However, a buzzer beater shot from beyond the arc would push Penn State Altoona ahead at the break, 35-34.
Although Altoona shot just 28.6% from the field to start the game, the Lions benefitted from 13 offensive rebounds and committing fewer turnovers than Brockport. Brockport outscored the opponent, 20-12, in the paint but had some players in early foul trouble which led to free throws for Altoona.
The Lions would hold onto their lead for a short while as the second half began, but they would not keep it for long. The Golden Eagles would go on a 9-0 run, in just over a minute of play, which was capped off by a
Mekhi Beckett triple to give them a 50-42 lead. They would remain ahead of the Lions the rest of the way.
Devante Hagins continued to punish Altoona inside, scoring 12 points in the second half to help push the team towards its 74-62 win.
Penn State Altoona was led by Mason Bush and Andruw Harman, who combined for 27 points and 15 rebounds in the loss. The Lions won the turnover battle and their bench outscore Brockport's, 30-7. Penn State Altoona completes its appearance at the Mauro Panaggio Tournament, 1-1, after today's loss. The team defeated Piedmont University, 77-75, on Sunday. Altoona is now 10-2 overall on the season with a matchup against Misericordia coming up on December 30
th.
The Golden Eagles held Altoona to its lowing scoring output of the year at 62 points, as the team entered the tournament averaging over 90 points per game. They shot a healthy 53.7% from the floor thanks to their ability to get to the rim. The squad outscored the Lions, 44-26, in the painted area. Brockport is now 4-0 all-time in the first game of the tournament held at DME Sports Academy.
The third and final day of the Mauro Panaggio Tournament is tomorrow, as Brockport will take on Piedmont University to close out the event. Tip-off is scheduled for 12 pm back at the DME Sports Academy in Daytona Beach, FL.
