Brockport, NY – The SUNY Brockport men's basketball team will play the first two home games of the season this weekend to begin conference play. The Golden Eagles host Oneonta on Friday at 7:30pm and New Paltz on Saturday at 4pm.
 
Finishing Up a Road Trip: To start the 2023-24 season the squad played five straight road contests, earning a 4-1 mark ahead of the home opener. Earlier this week Brockport defeated Alfred University, 54-52, to win a fourth game in a row. The Green and Gold is now set to play three straight home games, starting with a pair this weekend.
 
Early-Season Clutch Moments: During the team's four game win streak, each of the last three have been one-possession games. Both Tony Arnold and Mekhi Beckett have made clutch baskets late in games to lift Brockport over its opponents. In the final seconds against Salisbury, Arnold scored the game-winning layup to secure a 68-66 victory. He then came up big again in a 70-67 win over Hunter, making a jumper and a free throw in the final minute. Most recently in the win over Alfred, Beckett scored what became the game-winning shot late in regulation.
 
Beginning SUNYAC Play: This weekend will open up conference play around the SUNYAC, as the Green and Gold hosts Oneonta and New Paltz. Last season Brockport continued its tradition of playing well against the rest of the conference, going 14-4. The team claimed the No. 2 seed for the SUNYAC Tournament, earning a spot in the postseason for a 22^nd consecutive season.
 
Team Leaders: Mekhi Beckett (16.3 ppg) and Tony Arnold (14.8 ppg) are the two leading scorers for Brockport so far this season. Arnold also has the highest assist (13) and steal (9) totals through five games. Jacob Oka is the team's leading rebounder, as the sophomore is collecting 5.8 boards a game. Coming in off the bench, Adewale Fasanmi has proven to be the team's top rim-protector with six blocks so far.
 
SUNYAC Opponents: Heading into this weekend, Oneonta owns a record of 2-2 on the season. The Red Dragons were fantastic in their last outing, blowing out Wells College 101-53. They shot healthy splits of 52.7% from the floor, 45.5% from deep, and 72.2% at the foul line. Javen Flowers-Smith led the way with 31 points on the night, boosting his scoring average to 21.8 points per game.
 
The New Paltz Hawks enter this weekend at 3-1 overall, with a matchup against Geneseo slated for Friday night before coming to Brockport Saturday. New Paltz is currently 2-0 in road games this season. However, the team recently fell at home to Bard College, 66-64. Ryan Blondo leads the Hawks with averages of 14.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
 
Looking Ahead: The Golden Eagles will play at home once more before the start of the new calendar year. They will host Morrisville State on Tuesday, December 5^th for a 6pm start. After that the team's next game isn't until January 5^th against nationally-ranked Oswego.