POTSDAM, N.Y.- Strong second half lifted SUNY Oneonta (11-8, 8-4 SUNYAC) over the SUNY Potsdam men's basketball (2-17, 1-12 SUNYAC) Saturday afternoon 97-71 at Jerry Welsh Gymnasium. Sophomore forward Serigne Kane (Brooklyn, N.Y./Brooklyn Prep) led the Bears with team-highs in points with 17 and rebounds with six. Senior forward Mikey McElroy () finished with 21 points, while graduate student guard Frankie Kelly (Brewster, N.Y./Kennedy Catholic) recorded a double-double with 13 points and 12 assists and added four steals.
 
The teams traded baskets over the first eight minutes of the contest. At 12:12, after two made free throws from freshman guard Jayquan Thomas (Hollis, N.Y./Richmond Hill), the game was tied at 12 apiece, but the Red Dragons answered by going on a 10-1 run for an eight-point lead. At 8:57, sophomore guard Dante Langley (Schuylerville, N.Y./Schuylerville) started an 8-2 run to get within three with less than seven minutes to go. Closing out the half, Oneonta held a 16-11 advantage to carry the eight-point lead into the break.
 
The Red Dragons offense sparked out of the gate with a 27-4 run that spanned over the first seven minutes. Langley slowed the run with two made free throws and sophomore guard Tanner Stone (Schroon Lake, N.Y./Schroon Lake) added a layup before Oneonta sprung for another 11-4 run to get out to their largest lead of the contest. Potsdam answered with five straight baskets, which included a three-point play from Kane. Then the teams when basket-for-basket for the remaining seven minutes of the half with the Bears unable to make up the difference and Oneonta took the 97-71 win.
 
Sophomore guard Nosa Onabor (Brooklyn, N.Y./Northside Charter) recorded 12 points and five rebounds and four different Bears finished with six points, including Thomas, freshman guard Aaron Armstrong (Lisbon, N.Y./Madrid-Waddington), sophomore guard Andrew Hoag (Hoosick Falls, N.Y./Hoosick Falls) and freshman center Kristoff Saunders (Queens, N.Y./Queens H.S. of Teaching).
 
Senior forward Lawrence Coleman (Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) and junior Dwayne Freeman (Schenectady, N.Y./Notre-Dame Bishop Gibbons) each compiled 12 points with Coleman grabbed seven rebounds for a game-high. Senior forward Jack Kolosky (Fishkill, N.Y./Our Lady of Lourdes) rounded out the leaders with 11 points and three steals.
 
Potsdam will be back in action on Friday when the Bears head to Oswego State to battle the Lakers.