POTSDAM, N.Y.—St. Lawrence University (4-0) won a see-saw 70-61 battle over the SUNY Potsdam men's basketball team (0-2) in the Bears' home opener on Friday evening. Sophomore guard Colton Huestis (Ticonderoga, N.Y./Ticonderoga) led the Bears with a career-high 18 points. Freshman forward Parker Kelly (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Beekmantown) had 12 points and junior center Tyrese Baptiste (Brooklyn, N.Y./Eagle Academy II) had his 17th career double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
 
The Saints raced out to a 14-4 advantage over the first 4:06 of the contest. Junior forward Will Engelhardt (Syracuse, N.Y./Kimball Union Academy) and senior guard Luke Hicks (Clifton Park, N.Y./Cushing Academy) each it threes along the way and junior forward Trent Adamson (Illion, N.Y./Thomas R. Proctor) had four points. The Bears rallied with a 15-4 run to grab a 19-18 lead at 7:29. Freshman guard MeSean Johnson (Ogdensburg, N.Y./Ogdensburg Free Academy) started the run with a layup. Huestis had four points during the run and Kelly hit a three. Johnson scored on another layup to make it 21-20 Bears at 6:53, but SLU started to pull away again after the basket. Engelhardt scored five of the Saints next eight points and SLU led 28-21 with 5:05 left. Bears senior forward Dante Viskovich (Massena, N.Y./Massena) broke the streak with a layup at 3:34, but the Saints scored seven of the last 11 points for a 35-27 advantage at the break.
 
Engelhardt knocked down a 3-pointer at 16:37 of the second half to extend the lead back to 38-29. The basket was followed by another Potsdam charge. At 11:19, Baptiste scored to cap a 16-5 run and put the Bears up 45-43. Kelly had a dunk and a three during the run and Huestis had another five points. The lead was short-lived as the Saints answered with a 12-4 run. Freshman guard Trey Syroka (Toledo, Ohio/Whitmer) scored five of the points and SLU led 57-49 with 4:46 to play. A 3-pointer from junior forward Brandon Segar Jr. (Jamaica, N.Y./Richmond Hill) closed the gap to 63-58 with 41 seconds to play. The Saints sealed the win with seven free throws down the stretch to close out the nine-point victory.
 
Segar had nine points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Johnson finished with four points and seven assists.
 
Engelhardt and Syroka each led SLU with 16 points. Hicks had 14 points and seven boards and Adamson scored 11 points.
 
The Bears are back in action on Sunday when they host Clarkson University at 2 p.m.