PITTSFORD, N.Y. – First-year guard Mekhi Gidney poured in a season-high 23 points, but it wasn't enough as the St. John Fisher men's basketball team (10-12, 6-7 Empire 8 Conference) fell to the SUNY Brockport Golden Eagles (11-11, 7-6 Empire 8 Conference) 94-85 on Saturday evening. 

Gidney shot 9-of-14 overall, including 4-6 from beyond the arc, and also chipped in five rebounds. Sophomore guards Alex Hayes and Andrew Violante scored 19 and 16 points, respectively. Junior guard Jonathan McCaffrey added 11 points and eight rebounds.

The Golden Eagles were led by first-year guard Pharell Aybar, who played an impressive two-way game stacking a season-high 29 points on 12-of-19 shooting to go along with two blocks and three steals on the defensive end.

How It Happened

The Golden Eagles sprinted out of the gate, taking an 8-0 lead on baskets by four different players. They maintained their separation throughout the first half, taking a ten-point lead, 51-41, into halftime. Aybar had 17 points and four rebounds in the frame, and four other Brockport players scored at least five points. Camron Dyer cleaned up the glass with four rebounds. Brockport shot 60% from the field and 50% from three-point range in the first half.

Hayes led the way out of the gate for the Cardinals, tallying 12 points in the first half. Sophomore guard Jack Janes contributed eight points and three rebounds, one night after scoring a career-high 17 points with three rebounds against Geneseo. 

The Cardinals cut the lead to five thanks to a Gidney triple three minutes into the second half, and got within one point when Andrew Violante hit a free throw with 12 minutes left in the game. However, they were never able to even the score, and the Golden Eagles went wire-to-wire in the second half. The teams traded buckets for the full 20 minutes, as the Brockport lead never exceeded 12 points. 

The Golden Eagles' second-half attack was led by Aybar (12 points) and senior Jacob Oka (six points, seven rebounds, and six assists). Through the full game, Oka tallied 12 points, nine rebounds and a season-high nine assists. 

The Cardinals' comeback effort in the final frame was spearheaded by Gidney (15 points) and Violante (12 points). 

 Game Notes

• McCaffrey's eight rebounds were good for his third most this season, and his most since a game against Nazareth on January 28 (10).

• Gidney recorded his second game this season with more than 20 points. 

What's Next

The Cardinals hit the road to take on Elmira on Friday, February 13. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.