Oswego, NY – On Friday night, the SUNY Brockport men's basketball team defeated Cortland, 65-53, in the SUNYAC Semifinals. Brockport advances to the SUNYAC Finals on Saturday at 4pm against host Oswego.
 
The Golden Eagles head back to the conference championship game for the first time since the 2019-20 season when they won the SUNYAC Title. Head Coach Greg Dunne is 3-2 all-time in his career in the SUNYAC Finals.
 
Jahidi Wallace had a big game, leading all scorers with 19 points in the contest. He also grabbed 10 boards to notch the double-double. David Grady III stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, nine rebounds, two blocks, and two steals.
 
Tony Arnold had another solid outing for the Green and Gold with 14 points, seven boards, and two steals. Mekhi Beckett also poured in 14 points and grabbed two steals as well.
 
It was a tight, low scoring battle in the first half as both offenses struggled to make shots. Cortland shot just 17.65% from the field, while Brockport went 29.03% from the floor in the first.
 
Just past the midpoint with 9:57 on the clock, Brockport held a 12-8 advantage over the Red Dragons. At one moment the Green and Gold were up by eight points, however Cortland had an answer to keep the game close. Brockport held a 22-17 lead with 2:57 left until halftime, and neither team would score the rest of the half.
 
Up by five points to start the second, the Golden Eagles finally got the offense going. They went on a 12-0 scoring run to create a 34-21 lead less than four minutes into the second half. The squad would lead by as many as 17 points, maintaining a double-digit lead for most of the half.
 
Cortland continued to fight though, cutting the deficit to single digits with 3:34 remaining in regulation. Mekhi Beckett immediately answered with a 3-pointer to put Brockport back up double-digits. The Red Dragons wouldn't get any closer to pulling off a comeback, as the Green and Gold earned the 12-point victory.
 
The Golden Eagles defensive effort held Cortland to just 27.0% shooting in the game and just 3-for-30 from long range. They cleaned it up offensively in the second half by shooting 55.56% after a slow start in the first.
 
At the game it was also announced that Colby Jordan is the SUNYAC Men's Basketball Elite 20 Award Winner. The Elite 20 Award is given to the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the conference championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers.
 
No. 2 Brockport will clash with No. 1 Oswego for the SUNYAC Championship Game on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 4pm at Oswego's Max Ziel Gymnasium.