Brockport, NY - The #1 seeded Brockport women's basketball team will host #2 seed Geneseo for the Empire 8 Championship on Saturday, March 1^st, at 2 p.m. The winner of Saturday's Empire 8 Championship matchup will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament and claim the 2024-25 E8 Title.
 
Last Outing: The Golden Eagles defeated Nazareth, 93-86, in the Empire 8 Semifinals on Wednesday, February 26^th. After the victory, Brockport improved to 24-3 and 15-1 in E8 contests.
 
Stephanie Jean-Baptiste paced the offense with a game-high 24 points, doing it all with six rebounds and five assists.
 
Kaileigh Hunt shined with another double-double performance, scoring 14 points (2-3 3PT) with 12 rebounds.
 
Mandy Brink continued her hot streak, dropping 17 points (2-5 3PT) with six rebounds and three assists.
 
Shannon Blankenship had a big two-way day for Brockport, scoring 14 points with four rebounds and three steals.  
 
Harmony Philo was lights out from downtown, scoring 12 points on excellent 80% shooting from downtown (4-5).
 
(CO) DPOY:  Stephanie Jean-Baptiste earned Co-Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference honors for the Green and Gold. Leading the Golden Eagles with 18.3 PPG (2^nd in E8) on 48% shooting (5^th in E8), SJB also posted 2.4 SPG, the second most in the Empire 8. In 26 games for Brockport, Jean-Baptiste has posted 11+ points in 24 games on the season.
 
ROTY: Earning Empire 8 Rookie of the Week five times, Peyton Maneri earned E8 Rookie of the Year honors following an excellent freshman season with Brockport. Averaging 8.3 PPG, 2.6 AST, and 2.4 steals per game, Maneri currently leads the conference in total steals (71). Playing in all 27 games for Brockport, Maneri has posted a steal or better in all but one contest for Brockport.
 
Stepping Up: Earning second-team All-Conference honors, Kaileigh Hunt's play has improved in the Empire 8 tournament. Hunt has posted double-doubles in both of Brockport's playoff appearances, good for her fifth and sixth of the season. She has posted averages of 14.5 points, 11 rebounds, two steals, and two assists per game in the postseason.
 
Scouting Geneseo: The Knights advanced to the Empire 8 Championship following a 72-54 win over #3 seed St. John Fisher. Sitting at 21-6 overall, Geneseo has won 17 of its last 19 games, with both losses coming against Brockport. This will be the third meeting between Brockport and Geneseo this season, with the Golden Eagles taken both contests. The first saw them edge out a 73-72 road win, thanks to Shannon Blankenships game-winning 3-pointer. Brockport then earned a 75-62 win over the Knights in the home matchup of this series.
 
Up Next: With a win or at-large selection, the Golden Eagles will compete in the NCAA Division III Championships, beginning on Friday, March 7^th.