Press Releases

For Immediate Release
March 2, 2009

For more information, contact
Janet Roy
(585) 395-2267
jroy@brockport.edu

Men’s and Women’s Basketball Earn NCAA Bids with SUNYAC Championship

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Photo credit: Kelly Vergin

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Photo credit: Michael Pratt, MLPhoto

Brockport, NY – Men’s and women’s basketball earned automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament after winning the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC)Tournament. Men’s basketball won a 64-59 victory over SUNY Fredonia, while women’s basketball won 57-51 against SUNY Potsdam.

Junior Whitney Smith, who scored a team-leading 23 points, was named MVP for the women’s team. Senior Mychal Wilkes was named MVP for the men’s team, scoring 27 points, including six consecutive free throws in the final minute of the game.

The opening round of the NCAA Division III Tournament is Friday, March 6:

Men's Basketball

Golden Eagles vs. Carnegie Mellon University's Tartans (Pittsburgh, PA) at John Carroll University (University Heights, OH), Time TBA

Women's Basketball

Golden Eagles vs. Mount Saint Mary College's Blue Knights (Newburgh, NY) at Brandeis University (Waltham, MA), 5 pm

SUNYAC CHAMPIONSHP GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

Men’s Basketball Defeats SUNY Fredonia 64-59

Senior Mychal Wilkes (Newark, NY/Newark) scored 27 points, including six consecutive free throws in the final minute of the game to hold off SUNY Fredonia, to win a 64-59 victory.

Brockport (14-14) wasted no time taking control of the game, jumping out to a 25-8 lead in the first 10 minutes of the game before holding a 31-24 advantage at the halftime intermission.

A free throw by senior Eamon Kays (Mexico, NY/Mexico) gave Brockport a 14-point lead with 3:27 left to play. After the teams traded baskets, Fredonia went on an 8-1 run and trailed by seven points with 1:02 remaining. Wilkes hit two free throws to stretch the lead back to nine points but a three-pointer by Fredonia’s Brad Cooper, followed by another jumper by Cooper off a Brockport turnover, cut the lead to just four points with 40 seconds left.

Senior Shawn Harris (Rochester, NY/Gates-Chili) hit 1-of-2 free throws for a five-point lead but Fredonia moved down the court quickly and Leonard Smith hit a layup and was fouled with 32 seconds left. Smith missed the free throw that would have cut the lead to two points and senior Joe Clarke (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) grabbed the defensive rebound for the Golden Eagles. Wilkes was fouled again and calmly hit two more free throws for the five-point cushion, but Fredonia struck again with 10 seconds left with another Smith jumper in the lane to cut the lead back to three.

Wilkes was immediately fouled and again hit both free throws to seal the win.

Wilkes was named MVP with his 27 points while Clarke and Kays each added nine points and Clarke had a team-best five rebounds. Clarke was named to the All-Tournament team.

Women’s Basketball Comes From Behind to Earn Championship Against SUNY Potsdam

Junior Whitney Smith (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas) scored 18 of her team-leading 23 points in the second half as the team came from behind to defeat SUNY Potsdam, 57-51, in the SUNYAC championship game.

Brockport (19-9) trailed by four points at the halftime intermission but a three-point play by Smith, named the tournament Most Valuable Player, with 6:58 remaining gave Brockport a two-point lead. Another jumper by Smith with 4:33 left stretched Brockport's lead to five.

Smith and freshman Rachel Csakany (Schenectady, NY/Schenectady) hit free throws down the stretch to seal the victory as Brockport repeats as the conference champions after winning the title last year over SUNY Cortland.

Smith earned the MVP award with 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 4-for-6 from three-point range. Csakany added 11 points and eight rebounds while Jen Buskus (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) chipped in eight points and handed out a team-leading eight assists.

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The College at Brockport, State University of New York
350 New Campus Drive * Brockport, New York 14420-2931
(585) 395-2754 * FAX (585) 395-2723 * www.brockport.edu