Brockport, NY – The #3 seeded Golden Eagles defeated the #6 seeded Potsdam Bears, 62-55, at home in the first round of the SUNYAC Tournament. The SUNY Brockport men's basketball team advances to the semifinals on Friday to continue its title defense.
 
Jahidi Wallace led the team with 13 points and seven rebounds. David Grady III tallied 12 points and racked up three steals and five blocks defensively. Devante Hagins finished with 11 points, five boards, two blocks, and three steals.
 
Brockport got out to an early lead thanks to Devante Hagins' hot start offensively. Hagins scored seven of the team s first nine points, helping the squad take an 11-4 lead. Potsdam would have an answer and the rest of the half would be tight. The score was tied at 29-29 going into halftime, as both teams shot below 40% from the floor.
 
As the second half got rolling the teams continued to go back and forth. Neither team could create any separation as the score was tied up still at 45-45 with less than nine minutes to play. Tied up at 52-52, Brockport finally began to gain a slight edge in the final minutes of regulation. A couple clutch trips to the free throw line as well as some timely stops down the stretch helped the Golden Eagles pull out the seven-point victory.
 
Potsdam had one double-digit scorer with Ahamadou Sillah scoring a game-high 14 points. Tyrese Baptiste grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds and had six points before fouling out late in the contest. Potsdam finishes its season 12-12, as Tuesday night's loss eliminates the Bears from the postseason.
 
Brockport largely benefitted from getting to the foul line, going 21-for-28 in the game. Although the team shot just 34.5% from the field, it had six fewer turnovers than Potsdam and had a +15 advantage in free throws made.
 
The #3 Golden Eagles are now 18-7 on the year and are set to take on #2 Oneonta on Friday in the SUNYAC Semifinals. Hosted by Oswego, tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 pm.