SUNY Brockport's Panaggio honored

SUNY Brockport's Panaggio honored

Brockport sweeps

During a double header sweep of Plattsburgh, SUNY Brockport recognized three of its former greats including former head coach and alum Mauro Panaggio. He led the Golden Eagles to a pair of Final Four appearances and four SUNYAC championships in the 1970s and is still atop the leader board with 166 career victories and followed with a record for coaching victories in the Continental Basketball Association that still stands.

Also recognized were former players Ron Gilliam and Guy Vickers, members of the Final Four teams, who were inducted as part of the 25-man all-time JP Morgan Chase Scholarship Basketball Tournament team as part of the 40th year celebration.

Sophomore Katie Marcella scored a double-double and two other players were in double figures as the Golden Eagles women's basketball team defeated Plattsburgh 60-44.

Marcella had 11 of her game-high 20 points in the second half and added a team-high 12 rebounds in the win. The Golden Eagles ran out to a 24-3 lead in the first half and led 31-17 at halftime before allowing the Cardinals back in the game when they managed just eight points in the first ten minutes of the second half.

"I thought this was a big game for us and we win games by pushing the ball," said head coach Michelle Carron. "It's a fun was to play and we have some athletic people who can push the ball for us. My goal for the last four games is to go 4-0. We lost to Cortland by four points, beat Oswego and we beat Geneseo three times last year so I'm thinking we can win out."

Marcella scored nine of the team's last 14 points. Ashley Broadhurst had 11 points and Kiomi Matthews ten for the Golden Eagles. The team was 13 of 15 from the free throw line. Brockport improved to 7-5 and tie with Fredonia for fifth place in the conference. Four games remain on the schedule with three against teams ahead of them in the standings.

In the men's game, Ben Bellucci had a game-high 26 points and Brockport High alum Jerry Cheeves added 15 with all five baskets from three-point territory as Brockport defeated Plattsburgh 86-84.

"It's going kind of fast," said Cheeves about his senior season. "It seems like just a little while ago that I was a freshman in college. I have just a few more games left, so I'm trying to make the best of them."

The first half featured several lead changes, but the Golden Eagles led through most of the second half and by as many as eight points. In the last ten seconds of the game, Bellucci missed one of two three throws before the Cardinals missed a lay-up at the buzzer that would have sent the game to overtime.

Five different players scored in double figures for Brockport. Cheeves led the team with seven rebounds as the Golden Eagles moved into a tie with Fredonia for second place in SUNYAC behind Cortland.