GENESEO, NY – The No. 5 seeded SUNY Brockport men's basketball team is set to open the Empire 8 Postseason Tournament on the road this Saturday, February 21st, with a 4 p.m. tip-off against No. 4 SUNY Poly.
Last Time Out
The Golden Eagles closed the regular season in spectacular fashion this past Tuesday, securing a season sweep over SUNY Geneseo with a thrilling 65-64 road victory. The matchup lived up to the rivalry's reputation, featuring nine lead changes and seven ties. Trailing by one in the final moments,
Ajani Flemming came up with a massive steal with four seconds remaining. Following a timeout,
Jacob Oka drove hard into the paint and converted a layup with just one second on the clock to seal the win.
Brockport enters the postseason as the No. 5 seed, riding a blazing hot seven-game win streak.
E8 Semifinals Rematch
Saturday's contest serves as a high-stakes rematch of last year's Empire 8 Conference Semifinals, where Brockport's season was cut short by SUNY Poly. The two squads have split their double-header this season, sitting at 1-1.
While Brockport suffered their toughest loss of the year in a 94-64 road defeat early on, they answered back in the most recent outing with a 70-55 statement win at The Vlog. The Golden Eagles will look to carry that defensive blueprint into Poly's gym to settle the season series when it matters most.
Team Leaders: The Veteran & The Rookie
Jacob Oka has solidified his veteran presence as the engine of the Golden Eagles. Oka leads the team in nearly every major category, including points (12.9 PPG), rebounds (6.0 RPG), steals (2.0 SPG), and minutes (28.2 MPG). He enters the tournament on a tear, coming off a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double and the game-winning bucket against Geneseo.
Complementing Oka's experience is the explosive play of
Pharell Aybar. A 5-time Empire 8 Rookie of the Week, Aybar has been an immediate impact player, averaging 11.3 points and a team-high 3.2 assists. He is currently the team's most dangerous threat from deep, shooting a clinical 40% from behind the arc.
E8 Statistical Leaders
Brockport's defensive identity is anchored by a backcourt that relentlessly disrupts opponents.
Omar White and
Jacob Oka are currently ranked third and fourth in the Empire 8 for steals per game in conference play, averaging 2.3 and 2.2 respectively. White has been particularly dominant in conference play, recording the top two most steals in a game by any player in the Empire 8 this season. He recorded a seven-steal outing in a matchup against Utica on January 16th, which he followed up with a conference-high eight steals against Houghton on January 23rd.
Win or Go Home
Officially in the postseason now, the winner will advance and the loser will see their season come to an end. With a win on Saturday, Brockport will face the winner of the matchup between No. 8 Russell Sage and No. 1 St. John Fisher on Wednesday, February 25th. The location and time for the next round will be based on the outcome of Saturday's contests.
