Daytona Beach, FL – The Golden Eagles completed the Mauro Panaggio Tournament on Tuesday with a 66-55 win over Piedmont University. Freshman Mekhi Beckett put up a new career-high, leading all scorers with 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting.
 
Beckett was one of just two double-digit scorers for Brockport, as he continues to be a threat from deep with three makes from beyond the arc. David Grady III also hit double figures, coming up one board shy of a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds. Beckett and Grady also contributed with four assists and three blocks respectively.
 
Brockport would strike first with a basket 50 seconds into the game, and kept the lead for the entire 39:10 that was left in the contest. Mekhi Beckett got going early with 14 points in the first half, shooting 6-for-9 from the floor and 2-for-4 from deep. The freshman hit one of his shots from beyond the arc right before the halftime buzzer, giving the squad a 35-23 lead at the break.
 
The Golden Eagles shot 51.7% from the field in the opening half, while holding Piedmont to just 37% shooting. They entered halftime with advantages all over the stat sheet. The team had the edge in rebounds, assists, points in the paint, second chance points, bench points, fast break scoring, and had fewer turnovers.
 
Despite trailing by 12 at the half, the Lions continued to battle throughout the second half. They quickly cut into the lead, making the score read 35-28. David Grady III and Mekhi Beckett would score the first 15 points for the Green and Gold to start the half, holding off Piedmont's comeback attempt. Brockport was up 52-42 with seven minutes left in regulation, as Piedmont looked to make one more push. Piedmont cut the lead to just five in the final minute, but Brockport hit some key free throws and forced a pair of turnovers late to seal the deal.
 
The Golden Eagles go 2-0 at the Mauro Panaggio Tournament for the first time since DME Academy began hosting the annual event in 2018. They improve to 8-2 overall on the season and have now won three in a row.
 
Although Beckett and Grady were the two leading scorers, Jahidi Wallace, Devante Hagins and Brandon Kennedy-Gay made key contributions as well. Wallace finished with eight points and eight rebounds in the game. Hagins tallied six points, five assists, four boards, three steals and a block. Kennedy-Gay added four points, six rebounds, five assists, and one steal of his own.
 
Piedmont may not have had any players hit double figures in the scoring column, but several players came close. Noah Reardon scored nine off the bench, while Aaron Palmer, Jordan Foote, Will Richter, and Justin Quick all had at least seven points on the day. The Lions finish their appearance at the Mauro Panaggio Tournament 0-2, as they move to 5-5 overall on the season.
 
The Golden Eagles get some time to rest and recover before their next contest, as they don't play again until after the start of the new year. They will be back home at The Vlog for a non-conference matchup against Medaille College on Monday, January 3^rd for a 3 pm tip-off.