Alfred, NY – The Golden Eagle men's basketball team won its fourth game in a row on Tuesday night, improving to 4-1 on the season. Brockport defeated Alfred, 54-52, to close out a five-game road trip to start the year.
 
Following the trend of the last few games, the Green and Gold pulled out the victory in a one-possession game for a third straight outing. This time around it was Mekhi Beckett that delivered what became the game-winning bucket. Tied at 52-52, Beckett nailed a jumper with 1:14 left to play to give the squad the lead for the win.
 
Tony Arnold led the team with 17 points, as the lone double-digit scorer for the Golden Eagles on the night. He went 7-for-18 from the field and swiped two steals defensively.
 
Beckett scored a season-low nine points, but made up for it with the clutch shot late in the game. He remains Brockport's leading scorer, averaging 16.3 points per game.
 
Jacob Oka chipped in all over with five points, five boards, four blocks, two assists, and two steals. Caquan Wester notched eight points and a team-high six boards.
 
The hosting Saxons took a 29-24 lead with them into halftime. They got to the free throw line consistently in the first half, going 11-for-20 at the stripe compared to 1-for-7 for Brockport. However, Alfred only shot two free throws in the second half.
 
With both teams scoring at a slow rate in the contest, turnovers played a crucial role in deciding a winner. Brockport won that battle, committing eight turnovers while Alfred had 15 in the game.
 
The turnover differential helped the Golden Eagles gain an edge in fast break points (10-0), points off turnovers (11-3), and points in the paint (32-16). They cut down on the fouls and limited turnovers to win the second half, 30-23.
 
Brockport trailed Alfred, 52-47, with 4:14 remaining to play and did not allow the Saxons to score a single point in the final four minutes. This strong defensive effort included a pair of steals that allowed Arnold to tie the score at 52-52 with 1:44 on the clock.
 
Shortly after tying the game up, Beckett hit the jumper to give the Golden Eagles the lead for good. Up 54-52, their defense continued to lockdown Alfred's offense to hold on for the win.
 
Brockport will now prepare for its home opener on Friday, December 1^st. The team welcomes Oneonta for a 7:30pm tip-off to open up SUNYAC play.