Men's Basketball | 2/25/2026 10:03:55 PM
No. 5 seed SUNY Brockport (16-11) and No. 7 Keuka College (14-13) advanced to the 2026 Empire 8 Men's Basketball Tournament Championship game after earning semifinal victories on Wednesday, February 25. Brockport defeated No. 8 St. John Fisher University, 74-57 in the one semifinal, while Keuka hung on to defeat No. 3 seed SUNY Geneseo, 55-53.
Brockport will host Keuka at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28 for the Empire 8 Championship, with the winner earning an automatic berth into the 2026 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship Tournament, which begins March 6-7. Brockport is in its second season as an Empire 8 member, while Keuka is looking to win its first ever E8 title in its sixth season as a league member.
Keuka won the lone regular season meeting between the two schools, 65-62 in Keuka on Jan. 13. Lamar Lovelace had 15 points for Keuka, while Jack Clancy scored a game-high 17 points for SUNY Brockport.
NO. 5 SUNY BROCKPORT 74, NO. 8 ST. JOHN FISHER 57
Behind a scorching second-half offensive clinic and a stifling defensive performance, the SUNY Brockport men's basketball team secured a 74-57 victory over St. John Fisher. After a gritty, defensive-minded first half that saw the Golden Eagles hold a narrow 25-24, Brockport found their rhythm in the final 20 minutes to punch their ticket to the Empire 8 Tournament Championship.
Brockport improved to 16-11 with the win, as the Golden Flyers are riding a nine-game winning streak. St. John Fisher had its season end with a 13-14 record.
Everything changed after the intermission. While Fisher briefly contested the lead early in the period, the Golden Eagles ignited to reclaim control for good. Brockport orchestrated a devastating 22-9 run over an eight-minute stretch—climbing from a 28-27 deficit at the 18:00 mark to a commanding 49-37 advantage with 9:35 remaining. The Golden Eagles eventually extended the margin to as much as 19 points (70-51) late in the half. Despite a desperate late-game surge by the Cardinals with back-to-back triples in the final minute, the Golden Eagles slammed the door shut.
Camron Dyer put the exclamation point on the victory, slamming it down with authority in the final seconds to seal the 17-point win.
It was a balanced attack for the Green and Gold, with five players finishing in double figures:
Jack Clancy provided a massive spark off the bench, tying for a team-high 13 points. He was lethal from the perimeter, shooting 5-7 from the floor and 3-5 from deep, with all three of his triples erupting The Vlog in the second half to shift the momentum permanently.
Camron Dyer also netted 13 points and dominated the stat sheet with six rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. His ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor was evident throughout his 27 minutes of action.
Jacob Oka was a force in all facets, nearing a double-double with 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds. He also showcased his defensive tenacity with a team-high four steals while facilitating the offense with five assists.
NO. 7 KEUKA 55, NO. 3 SUNY GENESEO 53
Keuka College defeated host SUNY Geneseo 55-53 in the semi-finals of the Empire 8 Men's Basketball Championship Tournament. Keuka (14-13) advances to their first Empire 8 Championship in program history and first conference championship game overall since the 2002-03 season.
Lamar Lovelace led the Wolves with 23 points.
Kaleb Nutifafa added nine points and a team-high 10 rebounds.
Trevor Hofer led Geneseo (16-11) with 17 points, while Josh Garelle added 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
The host Knights started strong, making their first two triples, jumping out to an 8-2 advantage. The Wolves cut back into the lead.
Lamar Lovelace found
Kaleb Nutifafa under the basket as the Green and Gold tied it at 12-12. Keuka College would take the lead as they held SUNY Geneseo scoreless for over six minutes of action. The lead would trade back and forth as the game turned towards halftime.
Kevin Felasco hit a three to give the Wolves a 25-22 lead. The Green and Gold remained ahead 27-23 at the half.
The Wolves pushed their lead out to 10 points early in the second half.
Lamar Lovelace pulled up and made a deep three. Lovelace then found
Quinn VanKerkhove in the corner on the break for a three to give the Wolves a 35-25 advantage five minutes into the half. The momentum continued for the Wolves as
Malik Junious-Fuller drove to the rim and was fouled for a three-point play.
Geneseo scored nine unanswered to get back into the game as the Wolves took a timeout leading 38-34 with 11:48 remaining. The run extended to 13 as the Knights tied the game with nine minutes remaining. The Wolves came right down the floor and Lovelace pulled up for a jumper to give the Wolves the advantage back. A three by Geneseo gave them a 47-45 lead with five minutes left to play. The Wolves continued to battle. A fadeaway by Lovelace gave the Wolves a four-point lead with 2:33 remaining. Lovelace later found
Makya Morrison for a dunk and one. The Wolves extended the lead to six with the flush.
It was Keuka first win at SUNY Geneseo in program history. The Wolves are 4-14 all-time against the Knights. The win marks the third time in program history that Keuka College advanced to the conference championship game. The previous two trips were in the North Eastern Athletic Conference in the early 2000s.
2025-26 Empire 8 Men's Basketball Championship Schedule
Saturday, February 21 – First Round (at Higher Seed)
No. 8 St. John Fisher defeated No. 1 Russell Sage, 77-72 – BOX SCORE
No. 7 Keuka defeated No. 2 Nazareth, 96-89 (OT) – BOX SCORE
No. 3 SUNY Geneseo defeated No. 6 Utica, 68-62 – BOX SCORE
No. 5 SUNY Brockport defeated No. 4 SUNY Poly, 84-75 – BOX SCORE
Wednesday, February 25 – Semifinals (at Higher Seed)
No. 5 SUNY Brockport defeated No. 8 St. John Fisher, 74-57 – BOX SCORE
No. 7 Keuka defeated No. 3 SUNY Geneseo, 55-53 – BOX SCORE
Saturday, February 28 - Championship Final (at Highest Remaining Seed)
No. 7 Keuka at No. 5 SUNY Brockport – 2 p.m. – VIDEO/LIVE STATS