Brockport, NY – On Tuesday night, the SUNY Brockport men's basketball team will open Empire 8 Conference play. The Golden Eagles travel to face the Utica Pioneers for a 7:30pm tip-off.
 
Brand New Scene: The Brockport basketball programs are both beginning the Empire 8 schedule as first-year members of the conference. Tonight marks the start of a new journey in the new conference after Brockport played as a member of the SUNYAC for many years. The women's game (5:30pm) and the men's game (7:30pm) are set to be broadcasted on the Empire 8 Network: https://www.empire8network.com/utica/
 
Last Time Out: The Golden Eagles got back into the victory column on Saturday afternoon with an 85-74 win over SUNY Delhi, bringing them to 2-6 on the year. Saturday's efficiency from the field played a key role in the victory as Brockport shot 48 percent from the field and 39 percent from beyond the arc; both of which are better than the season averages thus far. 

Brockport jumped out to a 22-13 lead eight minutes into the contest largely thanks to an efficient start from beyond the arc. The squad made four of their first eight attempts from long range on Saturday. 

Delhi would then go on a 13-2 run of its own, giving the Broncos their first lead of the contest at 26-24. The latter half of the first period would remain tightly contested with neither team able to open anything larger than a three-point lead. Brockport finished the half up by six going into the break.  

The Golden Eagles shooting efficiency (51.7 percent) and rebounding advantage of 22-14 helped them finish the first half leading 43-37. It was a balanced scoring effort for both teams as Isiah Barnes led Delhi with nine, while Nathaniel Gordon paced Brockport with nine as well.  

The second half was all Brockport as the home team would open a double-digit lead with 12 minutes remaining and never looked back. A terrific second half for Beckett helped the Golden Eagles coast to victory as the junior provided 16 points in the final frame.
 
Top Performances vs Delhi: Mekhi Beckett was fantastic in the matchup, going 6-11 from the field to provide a season-high 22 points. Nathaniel Gordon also had himself a day, notching a career-high 15 points on 5-9 shooting along with six rebounds. Jacob Oka was terrific on the glass, leading all players with 11 boards in the contest.
 
Team Leaders: At 12.5 points per game, Zachary Rice leads the team in scoring. Tony Arnold is close behind at 12.0 points a game to go with 6.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 3.1 steals per game (all team-highs). Brockport's third scorer averaging double-digits thus far is Alex Tavarez (10.3 ppg). The squad is averaging 80.3 points per game through eight outings this season.
 
Meet the Pioneers: Following a, 77-66, loss to Hobart on December 16^th, the Utica Pioneers enter Tuesday night's matchup 6-3 on the season. They are averaging 76.1 points a game offensively and have held opponents to just 68.8 points a night. Utica currently has three players averaging double figures. Hagen Foley (15.3 ppg) leads the group, which also consists of Dayion Thompson (13.4 ppg) and Damien Call (12.3 ppg). Through the first nine games of the year, Foley is shooting lights out at 51.8% FG, 54.3% 3PT, and 82.5% FT.
 
More E8 Play Coming Up: This weekend Brockport is on the road once again for two more Empire 8 clashes. First is a trip to Hartwick on Friday (7:30pm), before the squad heads to face Russell Sage on Saturday (4pm).