Brockport, NY- The Brockport men's basketball team begins the quest for a SUNYAC Championship this weekend. No. 2 Brockport travel to Oswego to battle No. 3 Cortland in the SUNYAC Semifinals on Friday, February 24^th at 5:30pm.
 
The winner will advance to the SUNYAC Finals to take on the winner between No. 1 Oswego and No. 5 New Paltz on Saturday, February 25^th at 4 pm.
 
Last Outing: Brockport dominated Buffalo State on Senior Day, 99-68, further securing the two seed for the SUNYAC Tournament. Senior Tyler Cowie took part in the celebration with a game-high 15 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks. Cowie went 6-for-10 from the field, shooting 3-for-6 from long range. The Golden Eagles completed the regular season at 19-6 overall and 14-4 in SUNYAC play following the win.
 
Statistical Leaders: Averaging 17.0 points per game, Mekhi Beckett is the second leading scorer in the SUNYAC this year. He is also second in the conference with 63 3-point shots made in his sophomore campaign. Jahidi Wallace (13.1), Tony Arnold, (12.9), and David Grady III (12.0) are all double-digit scorers for the Golden Eagles. Grady also leads the conference with 60 blocks and is the fifth ranked rebounder as well. Arnold is ranked first in the SUNYAC in total steals with 65 on the season.
 
22 Years Straight of Postseason: After locking up the No. 2 seed, Brockport will participate in the conference tournament for the 22^nd consecutive season. Head Coach Greg Dunne now searches for his fourth conference title, which would be the 10^th in program history. The team's last SUNYAC Championship came in 2019-20, when the group made a run into the NCAA Division III Sweet 16. Last year the Green and Gold fell to Oneonta, 64-54, in the semifinal round. Receiving the first-round bye this year, Brockport is poised for another shot at a deep postseason run.
 
Tournament Outlook: In what some would consider a first-round upset, No. 5 seed New Paltz defeated No. 4 seed Oneonta in dominating fashion, 72-48. New Paltz was led by a dynamic two-way performance by guard Rylan Blondo. Blondo recorded 23 points on an efficient 8-13 shooting along with collecting 9 rebounds and 5 steals. New Paltz will play Oswego State in the semifinals of the SUNYAC Tournament.                                                                                       
 
No. 3 seed Cortland rode an explosive second half to rout No. 6 seed Geneseo, 93-55. SUNY Cortland forward Austin Grunder did it all to lead a group of six double-digit scorers for the Red Dragons. Grunder scored 24 points on 9-for-14 shooting while also grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds. Cortland earned a spot in the semifinals to take on Brockport.
 
Scouting Cortland: The Red Dragons enter the semifinals as winners of seven of their last eight. They are led by Austin Grunder, who is averaging over 22 points and 11 rebounds per contest. Brockport has met Cortland twice in the regular season, splitting the series 1-1. In the first meeting at home back on December, the Green and Gold lost, 63-60. Then on the road, the squad bounced back with a blowout, 86-62, win in January against Cortland. Guard Mekhi Beckett put on a show with 27 points, 8 rebounds, and draining 5-for-8 of his attempts from 3-point range. Brockport has won eight of the last nine matchups against the Red Dragons, dating back to 2018.
 
Up Next: With a win over Cortland, Brockport would advance to the SUNYAC Championship game on Saturday to play the winner between Oswego and New Paltz. The finals are scheduled for 4pm on February 25^th out in Oswego, NY.