POTSDAM, N.Y.—The SUNY Potsdam women's basketball team (12-9, 7-8 SUNYAC) shook off an early 12-point deficit to defeat the College at Brockport (9-11, 4-10) 75-69 on Friday night. Sophomore guard
Caroline LaFountain (Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Saratoga Springs) scored a game and career-high 22 points for the Bears. Junior guard
Dyamon Hunter (Bronx, N.Y./Thurgood Marshall Academy) had 19 points. Junior guard
Madison McCormick (Heuvelton, N.Y./Heuvelton) posted a double-double of 16 points and 10 boards and junior forward
Alyson Crosby (Brier Hill, N.Y./Hammond) rounded out the leaders with 12 points and nine boards.
The Golden Eagles raced out to a 15-3 lead over the first 7:58 of the contest, getting six points apiece from senior forward Kylee Rosbrook (Watertown, N.Y./General Brown) and graduate student forward Erin Nolan (Binghamton, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley). Hunter, LaFountain and freshman guard
Xy'El Bradford (Syracuse, N.Y./Syracuse Academy of Science) each scored in the final minutes, but the Bears still trailed 21-9 after 10 minutes.
Freshman guard Lucia Hali (Unadilla, N.Y./Unatego) scored with 4:33 left in the second quarter and Brockport matched its biggest lead of the contest of 16 points with a 34-18 advantage. Potsdam finally kicked it in gear after the basket and closed the half on a 14-4 run. Crosby had five of the points during the run and LaFountain had four. McCormick drained a three with a second left and the Bears were down just 38-32 as they headed for the locker room.
Layups from Crosby and Hunter and a three from LaFountain gave Potsdam its first lead of the night at 39-38 with 8:54 left. After the Eagles countered with two baskets and a three-point advantage, Potsdam went on an 8-3 run and led 47-45 at 4:46 on another McCormick three. Brockport answered again and the teams traded leads the rest of the quarter. Brockport clung to a 54-53 lead after 30 minutes. Hunter scored six points in the third, while LaFountain added five and Crosby and McCormick each scored four.
The Bears opened the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run and never trailed again. LaFountain opened and closed the burst. Two free throws from Hunter at 1:39 gave Potsdam its biggest lead of the night at 65-56. Brockport made a final push in the last minute and a layup from junior forward Serena Sordetto (Buffalo, N.Y./Kenmore East) got the Eagles within 71-69 with 11 seconds on the clock. However, McCormick and LaFountain iced the game with a perfect four free throws as time expired.
Rosbrook led Brockport with 11 points and five rebounds. Nolan had 10 points and seven boards and Sordetto finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.
The Bears continue their playoff push tomorrow at 2 p.m. when they host SUNY Geneseo.
