By: Matt Hanes
BROCKPORT, N.Y. – The Brockport Golden Eagles women’s basketball team ended their Empire 8 postseason run in a heartbreaking 66-63 loss against the SUNY Geneseo Knights. The championship came down to the final minutes of the game, but unlike their previous two matchups this season, the Knights closed it out with a win.
Empire 8 Tournament MVP and senior captain Mackenzie Reigle started off the scoring for Geneseo, driving hard for a right-handed layup. Brockport’s Peyton Maneri responded right back with a left-wing three-pointer to put the Golden Eagles up 3-2.
This lead would be the last for Brockport until the third quarter.
"I mean, Geneseo guards [defends]. They always do and they have for years," Brockport head coach Corinne Jones said. "We shot better than them, but we took 40 threes to their 20. The paint is what they kept us out of."
Maneri would go on to add two more points in the quarter, stealing the ball from Reigle in the backcourt to lead to a wide-open lefty layup. The Empire 8 Rookie of the Year finished the game with 15 points as well as two rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Maneri sits at 73 steals on the season and ranks eighth in Brockport history for steals in a season while also being the first Golden Eagle to reach that mark in a season since 2002.
“It meant a lot playing with the people I was playing with,” Maneri said. “I know it didn’t turn out how we wanted it to but I’m just grateful for everything. The whole year.”
The Knights finished out the first quarter up 16-13 and continued the pace early in the second after a layup from Grace Galgano and a pair of jumpers from Kiley Snow. The Golden Eagles climbed back with a 9-0 run sparked by a Cam Tooley three.
Brockport’s last bucket of the half came on a top of the court triple from Harmony Philo before Reigle ended the half with a complete and-one play to finish the half with nine points. The Golden Eagles were left down 37-30 through the first 20 minutes of play.
Brockport came out of the halfway point fired up, with Kaileigh Hunt scoring the first two points of the quarter behind the free throw line. Geneseo responded with two points of their own before another Maneri three ball.
Hunt reactivated late in the quarter, draining a left-corner three-pointer followed by two free throws. Defense reigned true throughout the quarter as Brockport held the Knights to just 10 points to finish the third up 49-47, good for their second lead of the game.
Hunt finished her birthday performance with a team-high 17 points to go along with eight rebounds, five assists and three steals. Hunt led her team in all stats mentioned.
"She always bounces back, she's super resilient," Jones said. "She's playing against six foot two people, moving her feet all game, getting pushed and thrown around and she still finished with 17 points and eight rebounds. Resiliency is just what I think of when I think of Kaileigh."
Hunt continued her efforts after a Maggie McGrane jumper for Geneseo, responding with her own jumper and a made free throw. Philo added to the scoring with back-to-back three pointers, keeping Brockport alive late in the fourth.
Reigle took over in the fourth for the Knights going on a 7-0 run alone in the last three minutes of play helping Geneseo earn a 62-59 lead. Reigle finished with 21 points, five assists, five rebounds and four steals.
After a pair of free throws from Geneseo’s Grace Galgano to make the score 64-61, Mandy Brink was left with three free throws to tie the game. Brink dropped the first two free throws before the last one went off the rim and out.
Despite the emotions of the moment, senior captain Shannon Blankenship kept her head up high.
“I looked at her after the game and she apologized to me,” Blankenship said. “That’s sports. That’s life. She hit two of them and put us into a better position than we were in.”
The Golden Eagles finished the game with a 66-63 loss after a pair of free throws from Snow to seal the win for the Knights.
It was the final game for five Golden Eagles including team captains Anna Lee and Blankenship.
Brockport finished with a 24-4 record on the season and a conference record of 15-1, which helped them claim the Empire 8 regular season title. The 24 wins is also good for the second most wins in a season in Brockport women's basketball history.
Despite the loss, the Golden Eagles still have a shot at an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament. Selections start at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, March 3.
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