New Paltz, NY – The SUNY Brockport men's basketball team ran out of time on Friday, falling to New Paltz on the road, 78-75. Freshman
Mekhi Beckett notched a new career-high 25 points in the contest, as the team is now 10-5 overall and 5-4 in the SUNYAC.
Beckett had it going from all over in the contest going 9-for-16 from the floor, 4-for-6 from deep, and 3-for-3 at the foul line. He made three shots from beyond the arc in the final 3:13 of the game, but the clock ran out before he had a chance to tie the game up at the buzzer.
Devante Hagins had his shot going from deep as well in the game, shooting 3-for-4 from downtown and 8-for-12 from the floor. He finished with 19 points, three steals, and three rebounds before fouling out in the second half.
Brandon Kennedy-Gay came in off the bench for 11 points, as he also shot 3-for-4 from long range.
This game was tight from start to finish, as the teams continued to trade baskets in the first half. Tied at 28-28 with six minutes until halftime, the Hawks would edge out a slight lead thanks to some strong shooting. New Paltz shot 46.7% from the field and 45.5% from deep in the opening half.
New Paltz stayed hot to stretch its lead to 10 points, leading Brockport 50-40 with 13:29 left in the second half. Hagins and Kennedy-Gay sparked a run with back-to-back shots from beyond the arc to cut into the lead. Timely 3-point shooting kept the Green and Gold within striking distance. The squad was 9-for-14 from deep in the second half, however New Paltz did just enough to edge out a 3-point victory.
Rylan Blondo led New Paltz with 25 points, while Loucas Seyoum and Solomon Neuhaus combined for 26. The Hawks had the advantage at the foul line, shooting 21-for-27 at the stripe. They improved to 9-6 overall and 6-3 in the conference.
Mekhi Beckett's career-high led the team in scoring with 25 points, his third 20-point game this season. 19 points for
Devante Hagins is his second highest scoring output of the year, while
Brandon Kennedy-Gay's 11 points is also his second-best scoring game.
The Golden Eagles are back on the court again tomorrow for a matchup with Oneonta. This road game is scheduled for a 4 pm tip-off, as they look to bounce back with a win.
