UTICA, NY – Riding a freshman-led offensive clinic and a dominant second-half shooting performance, the No. 5-seeded SUNY Brockport men's basketball team took down No. 4 SUNY Poly, 84-75, on the road on Saturday in the first round of the Empire 8 Men's Basketball Championship.
How It Happened
In a game that featured five lead changes and three ties, Brockport used a highly efficient offensive attack to pull away in the second half. After entering the locker room tied at 39-39, the Golden Eagles caught fire, shooting a staggering 66.67% (16-24) from the field in the final 20 minutes. This late-game surge was a continuation of a consistently hot hand, as the Green and Gold shot over 50% in both frames. Brockport opened the contest hitting 51.72% (15-29) of their shots in the first half, before their second-half clinic pushed their total game average to an impressive 58.5%.
The defensive adjustment was just as vital to the victory. After SUNY Poly found success early by shooting 46.67% from behind the arc in the first half, the Golden Eagles locked down the perimeter in the final period. Brockport's stifling defense held the Wildcats to a cold 29.73% from the floor in the second half, including a dismal 14.29% (2-14) from the three-point line.
Leading Contributors
The future of the program was on full display as three of the four Golden Eagles in double figures were freshmen.
Ajani Flemming was clinical from the perimeter, leading all Brockport scorers with 19 points. The freshman shot the laces off the ball, making 5-of-8 triples and finishing 6-of-10 from the floor in 33 minutes of action.
Jacob Oka was in attack mode for all 28 minutes of play. He nearly recorded another double-double, following Flemming with 18 points on efficient 8-of-11 shooting to go along with 9 rebounds, a block, and a steal.
Cameron Pownall delivered a perfect shooting performance, going 6-of-6 from the field and 2-of-2 from the charity stripe. He anchored the interior with 6 rebounds and a block in just 18 minutes.
Pharell Aybar matched Pownall with 14 points. Aybar was the primary facilitator for the offense, recording a team-high 5 assists to go with 5 rebounds and a block.
Omar White continues to be a defensive force, racking up 3 steals and a block. White added 8 points, including a pair of late-game free throws to put away any hope of a comeback, and hauled in 6 rebounds.
Up Next: With the victory, the Golden Eagles earn the right to host the next round of the tournament. No. 5 Brockport will face No. 8 St. John Fisher in the Empire 8 Men's Basketball Semifinals on Wednesday, February 25th, at 6:00 p.m.
