Men's Basketball | 2/15/2025 6:51:00 PM
HOUGHTON, NY - SUNY Brockport edged out Houghton College with a final score of 107-105 in an overtime victory on Saturday. The Golden Eagles improved to 15-9 overall and 13-2 in the Empire 8 following the bounce back win on the road. The Golden Eagles have formally clinched the Empire 8 Regular Season title and will be the No. 1 seed in the upcoming E8 Tournament.
Mekhi Beckett stood out for Brockport with a team-high 26 points, shooting 9-for-13 from the field and an impressive 4-for-5 from beyond the arc. He also recorded one block and one steal.
Zachary Rice contributed 16 points while leading the team in steals with two and adding nine rebounds, with a 7-for-14 shooting performance, including 2-for-5 from three-point range.
Jacob Oka added 23 points on 10-for-12 shooting and tied for the team lead in rebounds with nine, while also recording two steals.
Jakhi Lucas was a key playmaker, notching six assists, scoring 17 points, and securing four steals.
Tony Arnold supported the team with five assists and contributed 11 points.
The first half featured a competitive exchange with the score tied at 48. Brockport started strong with Nathaniel Gordon hitting a 3-pointer in the opening seconds and maintained momentum with Mekhi Beckett contributing two 3-pointers, his last one tying the game at the buzzer. Zachary Rice was active defensively, collecting multiple rebounds and steals, while Tony Arnold provided key assists and scored crucial points, including a jumper that brought Brockport within two points at 43-44 late in the half.
The second half saw a dynamic exchange of scoring between the teams, resulting in a 46-46 tie for the half. Brockport's Jacob Oka was pivotal, contributing with several key plays, including a layup at 4:32 and a defensive rebound at 3:50. Zachary Rice and Jakhi Lucas also played crucial roles, with Rice making a layup at 9:15 and Lucas assisting and scoring throughout the half. Although both teams experienced turnovers and missed opportunities, Brockport maintained consistent pressure, highlighted by Tony Arnold's steal and fast-break layup at 2:10, which helped secure their points.
In the overtime period, Brockport's offensive momentum was led by Jakhi Lucas, who contributed significantly with a 3-pointer at 4:37 and a layup shortly after. Mekhi Beckett also added to the score by hitting a 3-pointer at 3:15, assisted by Tony Arnold. Arnold further extended Brockport's lead by making two free throws, taking the score to 107-100. Despite a late surge from the Highlanders, including a quick basket by Preston Thomas, Brockport maintained their lead, closing the period with a score of 13-11 to pull out the 2-point win.
Brockport will be back at home on Tuesday, February 18th for a 7:30pm tip-off against Geneseo to close out the regular season.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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