POTSDAM, N.Y.—The College at Brockport (4-6, 1-2 SUNYAC) pulled away late to defeat the SUNY Potsdam women's basketball team (4-5, 1-2) 66-52 on Friday night in its home opener. Freshman forward Jakia Howard (Syracuse, N.Y./Nottingham) posted her third straight double-double to lead the Bears with 12 points and 16 rebounds. Freshman guard Caroline LaFountain (Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Saratoga Springs) also reached double digits with 11 points.
 
The teams battled basket-for-basket over the first seven minutes. Sophomore guard Dyamon Hunter (Bronx, N.Y./Thurgood Marshal Academy) drilled a three with 3:08 left to tie the score at 11. However, the Golden Eagles closed the half on a 7-1 run and led 18-12 after one quarter.
 
Potsdam and Brockport battled to a 16-16 draw in the second quarter, but with surges by each team. Golden Eagles junior guard Juliana Taylor (Fonda, N.Y./Fonda-Fultonville) opened the scoring with a layup to extend the lead to 20-12, but the Bears answered with an 8-3 to make it 23-20 at the 6:26 mark. Howard sank two free throws and Hunter, LaFountain and freshman guard Tsai Lewis (Cortland, N.Y./Cortland) each contributed layups to account for the points. Brockport scored eight of the next 11 points, with Potsdam's only basket coming on Hunter three, and led 31-23 at 1:39. LaFountain converted a three-point play attempt to close the gap to five, but Golden Eagles sophomore forward Kylee Rosbrook (Watertown, N.Y./General Brown) answered with one of her own to make it 34-26. Freshman guard Bella Barner (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) hit a jumper at the buzzer on an in-bound pass from Hunter and Potsdam trailed 34-28 at the break.
 
The third quarter was tightly contested, but the Bears were unable to gain any ground. A layup from sophomore forward Devyn Elliott (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) closed the gap to 38-35 at 7:13 and two free throws from Howard kept it 42-39 Brockport nearly three minutes later. Again the Golden Eagles closed a quarter on a 7-2 run and led 49-41 after 30 minutes.
 
Five straight points on a three from sophomore guard Katelyn Flanagan (Canton, N.Y./Hugh C. Williams) and a layup from Elliott cut Brockport's advantage to 51-46 with 7:07 to play, but a 16-6 finish to the contest sealed the win for the Golden Eagles. Howard had six points in the final 10 minutes.
 
Hunter finished with eight points and Barner had seven. Foul trouble limited Elliott to six points and nine boards. Lewis scored five points on the night.
 
Sophomore guard Chelsea Henry (Greece, N.Y./Greece Athena) led all scorers with 19 points along with seven boards for Brockport. Freshman guard Erin Radack (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern Central) scored 13 and Rosbrook finished with a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds.
 
The Golden Eagles shot 36-percent from the floor while holding the Bears to 33 and edged Potsdam 43-41 on the glass.
 
The Bears host SUNYAC powerhouse SUNY Geneseo tomorrow at 2 p.m.