OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. – Clifton Lyerly knocked down a last second jumper to force overtime and lead The College at Brockport men's basketball team past The College at Old Westbury on Wednesday, 85-82.
The Golden Eagles remain unbeaten, improving to 4-0 to start the 2016-17 campaign while the Panthers fall to 0-3 on the year.
After fighting to overcome a double-digit second-half deficit, Lyerly posted a fast-break layup that cut the Old Westbury lead to just two with two seconds remaining in regulation. The Golden Eagles forced a Panther turnover on the ensuing possession, and as time expired Lyerly got the put back to force extra time.
In overtime, the Brockport offense, which struggled at times to produce, found its rhythm, posting back-to-back scores from Lyerly and Devonn Gavin to take the early 74-70 lead. The Golden Eagles, who also struggled from the line in the contest, were solid from the charity stripe when they needed it, converting seven free throws in overtime to seal the deal, in the 85-82 win.
In the contest, Lyerly led the Brockport offensive efforts, with 25 points and six rebounds. Gavin finished with 10 points, while Matthew Smith, Cordell Torres and Justin Summers all notched eight points. Torres snagged seven boards, while Smith dished five assists on the day. Marcus Blythers and Malick Sylla added seven points, with Blythers picking up seven rebounds.
Brockport was able to keep a slight lead over the Panthers through the majority of the first half. Torres scored five straight, with a pair of layups, and an and-one free throw to give the Golden Eagles a 5-2 edge less than a minute in.
The Green and Gold doubled their lead by the 15-minute mark when Justin Summers powered in a dunk for the 12-6 lead. Brockport kept a small distance from Old Westbury, but saw their lead disappear by the four-minute mark. After trading leads, Gavin converted on a pair of free throws to close the half, taking a 26-26 tie into the break.
The Golden Eagles struggled to open the second half, with the Panthers going on a 10-0 run, establishing a 43-26 lead at 17:38. Brockport, forced to play catch-up, mounted several promising runs, but weren't able to fully erase their deficit until the final seconds of the contest.
As a team, Brockport shot 44.6 percent (29-of-65) from the field, knocked down four three-pointers, and shot 59 percent (23-of-39) from the line. For the fourth straight contest, the Green and Gold outmatched their opponents in the paint, with a tally of 40-32 in the lane and forced 29 turnovers for 23 points.
The Golden Eagles will return to action when they open their home season and State University of New York Athletic Conference play when they host Oneonta on Dec. 2.