POTSDAM, N.Y. – The SUNY Potsdam women's basketball team (9-14, 6-11 SUNYAC) defeated SUNY Oneonta (11-13, 8-9 SUNYAC) by a final score of 64-59 on Friday night. Freshman guard Caroline LaFountain (Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Saratoga Springs) paced the Bears with a team-high 16 points, while also recording four rebounds. Sophomore forward Devyn Elliott (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) pitched in 15 points and gathered ten rebounds. Sophomore guard Dyamon Hunter (Bronx, N.Y./Thurgood Marshall Academy) and freshman guard Bella Barner (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) each tallied 10 points, with Hunter also collecting five rebounds.
 
The Red Dragons put the pressure on early as they raced out to a 9-5 lead in the opening minutes of the first quarter. Barner got the Bears moving as she drained a 3-pointer to get the game to within one with 5:27 left to play. Both teams would exchange buckets and leads as time continued to wind, but the Red Dragons would find themselves ahead 15-10 with just over 2:30 to play. A layup by LaFountain and another 3-pointer by Barner would help to close the gap, as the Bears would end the quarter trailing by only two, 19-17.
 
Barner hit another 3-pointer to open the second quarter, putting the Bears back in the lead. However, back -to-back 3-pointers by the Red Dragons just over two minutes later would put them back in front, 23-21. The Bears would sink several free throws in the following minutes, capped off by a layup by sophomore forward Alexis Davis (Brooklyn, N.Y./Williamsburg H.S. of Architecture & Design), putting them ahead by four with just over two minutes remaining in the half. Two more Potsdam free throws would extend the lead to six, but the Red Dragons were able to get on the board with a layup once more before the end of the half, leaving the score 32-28 in Potsdam's favor at halftime.
 
The second half would feature more back-and-forth action, as both teams continued to make shots but neither team could pull away on the scoreboard. A 3-pointer by LaFountain with 7:22 left to go in the third quarter put the Bears up by six, 39-33. The Red Dragons would answer with two 3-pointers of their own from Leanne Corso and Lauren Obermayer in the next two minutes to tie the game. Strong free throw shooting to close out the quarter would help Oneonta regain the lead, but LaFountain drained a 3-pointer with four seconds on the clock to put the Bears up by two headed into the fourth.
 
Elliot opened the scoring the final quarter to put the Bears ahead 50-46. Free throws by Hunter extended the lead to 52-46 a minute later. Oneonta continued to battle, knocking down back-to-back buckets to once again tighten the score. Corso would help the Red Dragons regain the lead with 6:08 to play with a 3-pointer. As the clocked ticked into the final minutes, Elliot would record six straight points for the Bears, capped off by a layup by freshman guard Tsai Lewis (Cortland, N.Y./Cortland) to seal the victory.
 
Oneonta was led by Casey Hayes who recorded 17 points and seven rebounds. Corso finished with 11 points and pulled in ten rebounds. Obermayer would end the game with 7 points and 2 rebounds.
 
The Bears shot 36.8% from the field and 37.7 % from beyond the arc. Oneonta shot just 28.6 from the field and 23.1% from 3-point range.
 
The Bears will finish their season tomorrow afternoon as they host New Paltz at 2:00 p.m.