The Brockport men’s basketball team is gearing up for a big weekend, hosting Geneseo in the first round of the Empire 8 conference playoffs. The Golden Eagles clinched the No. 1 seed and playoff hosting rights after their game versus Alfred on Feb. 14.
Brockport will be looking for a better postseason result than last year. The Golden Eagles had a first-round exit against SUNY Oneonta in the SUNYAC playoffs, losing 68-75 at home.
They’ll be facing a familiar foe in Geneseo, coming out on top in two previous matchups this season against the Knights. In late January, the Golden Eagles won on the road 67-55. At home last Tuesday, Brockport won 87-73 to wrap up the regular season.
The Golden Eagles will be leaning on several key players to lead them to a win and an appearance in the Empire 8 semifinals. Mekhi Beckett leads Brockport in scoring with 12.9 points per game, shooting 44 percent from the field and 41 percent from beyond the arc. His three-point percentage ranks him fourth in the Empire 8.
Zachary Rice will be another player Brockport will look to for scoring. The junior guard is averaging just over 11 points per game, second on the team, to go along with 5.6 rebounds. Rice scored a team-high 16 points versus Geneseo on Feb. 18.
The No. 8 seed Geneseo is led by Josh Garelle, who leads the team in scoring with 13.8 points per game on the season, eleventh in Empire 8 standings. In the last matchup with Brockport, the sophomore Garelle scored 23 points on 70 percent shooting to go along with eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. The Knights will also rely on Robert Pericolosi, who scored 14 points and picked up seven assists and six rebounds at Brockport last Tuesday. Pericolosi is averaging 11 points, three assists and just under eight rebounds on the season.
Geneseo comes into this first round matchup with a 6-10 conference record and on a three-game losing streak. Brockport is 14-2 in conference, their only losses coming from Sage College in mid-January and Alfred.
As a team, Brockport has been strong offensively all year. Averaging 81.2 points per game, their scoring is ranked first in the Empire 8. Their success is due in large part to their shooting efficiency; as a team they are shooting 44 percent from the field and 36 percent from three.
The Golden Eagles will have to stay hot to move on to the semifinals, which they would also host. Tipoff versus Geneseo is scheduled for 4 p.m.
