PLATTSBURGH, N.Y.—The SUNY Potsdam women's basketball team (2-1) shook off a fourth quarter deficit to defeat SUNY Cobleskill (0-2) 61-55 in the second round of the Plattsburgh Cardinal Classic. Freshman guard Xy'El Bradford (Syracuse, N.Y./Syracuse Academy of Science) led the Bears with 11 points and four steals, while junior guard Bella Barner (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) added 10 points and four boards.
 
The Bears raced out to a 6-2 lead in the first 2:30 of the contest on layups from junior guard Dyamon Hunter (Bronx, N.Y./Thurgood Marshall), junior forward Alyson Crosby (Brier Hill, N.Y./Hammond, N.Y.) and Barner. Potsdam never trailed in the first quarter as junior forward Caroline LaFountain (Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Saratoga), junior guard Madison McCormick (Heuvelton, N.Y./Heuvelton) and Hunter each added baskets to the total. The Bears led 15-10 after one.

The Tigers slowly clawed their way back on top in the second quarter. A jumper from Sierra Delaney knotted the score at 22 with 2:34 left in the half. Less than a minute later, Anna Post gave Cobleskill a 24-23 lead and the score was unchanged at the break. Bradford and junior forward Mandy Barnell (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) had the sole field goals for the Bears in the quarter.
 
Bradford scored on a layup and hit the following free throw after being fouled 24 seconds into the third to briefly put the Bears back on top 26-24. However, the Tigers answered with six straight points for a 32-26 advantage at 7:09. After a Crosby layup, Cobleskill scored another seven in-a-row, capped by a Hannah Cater 3-pointer to give the Tigers their biggest lead of the game at 39-28. Potsdam's offense started to click after they countered with a 9-0 run to get with in 39-37 with 41 seconds left in the quarter. Crosby hit a layup, Bradford drained a three and McCormick and Barnell each hit two free throws during the stretch. Cobleskill held on to the lead after scoring five of the final six points for a 44-38 lead after 30 minutes. Bradford had six points in the quarter and Crosby had four.
 
The Bears overpowered the Tigers in the final 10 minutes. An 8-0 run capped by a Barner 3-pointer at the 8:02 mark gave Potsdam a 46-44 lead. After two Cobleskill buckets, Barnell tied the game at 48 with a layup with 6:16 left. The teams traded leads over the next three minutes. At 3:29, LaFountain scored to give the Bears a 54-52 lead and started a 7-0 run. A McCormick layup made it 59-52 with two minutes to go. Free throws got the Tigers back within in four points, but McCormick sank two free throws in the final seconds to seal the 61-55 victory. Barner had six points in the last quarter on two threes and McCormick scored five, including three from the charity stripe.
 
McCormick finished with nine points and a game-high eight assists. Crosby had eight points and a team-leading nine rebounds.
 
Cater led the way for Cobleskill with 16 points and 10 rebounds and Post finished with 13 points and 13 boards.
 
The Bears are back in action on Tuesday when they head across town to Clarkson University for a 5 p.m. meeting.