Brockport falls to Russell Sage in E8 play

By: Ashton Townsend

BROCKPORT, N.Y. -- The Brockport Golden Eagles Men’s Basketball team fell 81-76 to the Russell Sage Gators in Empire 8 conference play. After a back-and-forth first half, the Gators took a 42-36 lead heading into the locker room and never gave it up. 

Pharell Aybar getting hugged by Jacob Oka on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (Photo: Brockport Athletics)

The Golden Eagles grabbed an 8-2 lead five minutes into the game, and the Gators battled back to get a 9-8 lead just a minute later. Freshman Pharrell Aybar scored five points in 45 seconds to give the Golden Eagles a 31-25 lead with 4:36 left in the half. From there, the Gators went on a 17-5 run to grab the halftime lead.  

“We got into foul trouble at the end of the half, we had different guys in, not our lead guards, we rushed and didn’t get to the basketball,” Brockport head coach Joe Clarke said.

The Gators came out firing once again in the second half and by the time five minutes had passed, the Golden Eagles were looking at a 14-point deficit. But Aybar, Christian Amica and Cameron Dyer kept the Golden Eagles in it.  

Amica netted nine of his 12 points in the second half, including a layup with 8:24 left that cut the lead to just four for the Gators. But the Gators responded and never gave up the lead, holding on until the end.  

The Golden Eagles finished 2-26 from the three-point line, going 0-12 in the second half.  

“I think we got good looks, but it just wasn’t our night,” Aybar said. “We will get back in the lab and work on it and we will be better next game.”  

Jacob Oka driving to the basket on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (Photo: Brockport Athletics)

Pape Tunkara paced the Gators with 15 points, Brandon Harris and Adam Meyers each had 14 points in a balanced scoring attack.  

Aybar finished with a game-high 19 points and Dyer had 16 in the Golden Eagles’ comeback attempt.  

With the loss, Brockport falls to 7-11 and 3-6 in E8 play while moving to ninth in the standings. The Gators move to 17-2 and 9-1 in E8 play and sit atop the Empire 8.  

The Golden Eagles are back in action tomorrow, Saturday Jan. 31 as they host the Hartwick Hawks with tip-off scheduled for 4 p.m.