BROCKPORT, N.Y. – Levi Pace scored nine of his team-high 13 points in the second half as Brockport held off Cortland, 57-48, in a SUNYAC men's basketball contest.

Brockport improved to 13-10 overall and is in a three-way tie for third in the SUNYAC with a 10-6 league mark. Cortland dropped to 16-8 overall and is presently in sixth in the conference at 9-8, a half game ahead of both Oneonta and New Paltz (each 8-8). The top six teams qualify for the SUNYAC playoffs. Cortland plays its final league game Friday at Oswego, while Oneonta and New Paltz each have home games this weekend against Buffalo State and Fredonia.

Blair Estarfaa (Buffalo/Maryvale) led Cortland with a career-high 27 points. He hit 7-of-11 field goals, 3-of-6 from 3-point range, and was 10-of-12 from the foul line. Matt McGowan (Lake George) matched his career high with 10 rebounds, T.J. Hefele (Greenlawn/Friends Academy) finished with three steals, two assists and five points, and Justin Prendergast (Monroe/Monroe-Woodbury) grabbed six rebounds.

Pace connected on 6-of-8 field goals and added five steals, three blocks and five rebounds for the Golden Eagles. Patrick Modzelewski registered 12 points and six rebounds and Aaron White scored 11 points.

Cortland shot only 22 percent in the first half and finished at 26 percent (13-of-50). Brockport shot 43 percent from the floor. Both teams struggled from 3-point range – Cortland at 22 percent (6-of-27) and Brockport at 21 percent (3-of-14) – and the teams combined for 39 turnovers (Cortland 22, Brockport 17).

Brockport led 20-10 with 5:38 left in the first half after a White 3-pointer. Cortland closed to within 23-20 on a McGowan free throw with 1:43 remaining in the period, but two Modzelewski free throws and a Hamed Shamseldin layup put the Golden Eagles up 27-20 at halftime.

The hosts opened up 12-point leads twice in the first two minutes of the second half, but Estarfaa scored 10 of the Red Dragons' next 13 points, capped by two 3-pointers, and Cortland trailed only 38-35 with 14:19 left.

Brockport responded with five straight points, three by Clifton Lyerly, to push its lead to 43-35 with 12 minutes remaining. The closest Cortland got after that was five points at 49-44 on an Estarfaa layup with 4:54 left, but Cortland missed three shots on its next possession and Brockport scored the next three points to go back up by eight. The margin remained at least six the last three minutes.