By: Mike Rose
Tony Arnold began the night with a jumper but that was the last time Brockport would score from the perimeter in a 38-24 first-half drubbing of the Fredonia Blue Devils. Behind pure physical domination inside the Golden Eagles men's basketball team secured their fourth straight victory Tuesday night, 71-52.
The game plan for Brockport early on was simple, attack the paint at all costs. The Golden Eagles executed to perfection going 14-for-22 at the free-throw line and scoring 22 points in the paint in the first half.
"We just preach before every game attacking the inside," Brockport's Caquan Wester said. "That's our bread and butter right there."
Jacob Oka led the way scoring nine of his game-high 15 points in the opening 20 minutes. On the other end, the Golden Eagles' defense was suffocating once again. After holding Geneseo to 22 first-half points on Saturday, Brockport held the Blue Devils to 24 in the first half on 8-for-29 from the floor and 2-for-12 from three-point range.
"When we started our season we were coming out doing our own thing but since we came back from break we've just been buying into what coach has been preaching," Wester said. "We're just playing Brockport basketball, this is us."
The two-game stretch defensively comes after a seven-game run where the Golden Eagles allowed 72 or more points in every game. They went 4-3 across those seven contests.
Brockport was able to enter into cruise control in the second half as the Blue Devils never cut the margin closer than the 14-point deficit that they saw at the break. Brockport would finish the night with 33 free throw attempts and 36 points in the paint.
Overall on the night Fredonia would shoot just 31% from the field and 27% from three while recording 21 turnovers that led to 23 points on the other end for Brockport.
Wester recorded his fourth double-double of the season, finishing with 12 points and 14 rebounds. Oka added seven rebounds, six of which came offensively, to his 15-point night. Jevonny Brown netted double figures in his third start as a Golden Eagles, totaling 11 points. Danny Ashley added seven points, five rebounds and four steals.
With the win Brockport (11-5, 7-3) maintained third place in the SUNYAC conference. They still trail Oswego (16-1, 10-0) and New Paltz (13-3, 7-2) for the top two seeds and potential first-round byes in the postseason. The Golden Eagles will next be in action at the Vlog on Friday, Jan. 26 when they host the Potsdam Bears, whom Brockport defeated 90-74 in the two teams' first matchup of the season. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and our coverage on 89.1 The Point will begin with pregame 15 minutes before tip.
Comments