OSWEGO, N.Y.—The SUNY Potsdam women's basketball team (11-7, 6-6 SUNYAC) used a big fourth quarter to complete a season sweep of Oswego State (4-14, 1-11) with a 66-52 victory on Friday night. Junior forward
Jakia Howard (Syracuse, N.Y./Nottingham) led the Bears with 21 points and 14 rebounds. Junior guard
Dyamon Hunter (Bronx, N.Y./Thurgood Marshall Academy) scored 16 points and just missed a double-double with eight rebounds. Sophomore guard
Caroline LaFountain (Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Saratoga Springs) also just missed a double-double with 15 points and nine boards.
The Lakers opened the contest on an 8-2 run over the first 2:36. Potsdam then closed to within one at 2:19 with the next five points on buckets from Hunter and junior forward
Alyson Crosby (Brier Hill, N.Y./Hammond). The Lakers answered with five straight and Howard had the final points of the quarter, getting the Bears within 13-9 after 10 minutes.
Oswego built leads of 17-11 and 21-15 in the first five minutes of the second quarter, but the Bears continued to stay within striking distance. A 8-0 answer from Potsdam gave the Bears their first lead of the contest at 23-21 with 4:01 left in the half. Howard and Hunter each scored four points. The Lakers rallied on a three from Chastin Giles and a jumper from Claire Skowronski for a 26-23 lead at 2:27. Potsdam then scored the final six points of the half and led 29-26 at the break. LaFountain and Hunter each hit two free throws and Howard scored on a layup.
The Bears kept the Lakers at arm's length the entire third quarter. Oswego got within 31-29 at 8:09, but Potsdam led by more most of the period. The Bears, paced by seven more points from Howard, outscored the Lakers 17-14 in the second quarter and led 46-40 after 30 minutes. Freshman guard
Xy'El Bradford (Syracuse, N.Y./Syracuse Academy of Science) had four points in the third.
It was all Bears in the final 10 minutes. A 15-7 run opened up a 61-47 Potsdam advantage at 3:04. A 3-pointer from Laker Danielle Caivana got Oswego back within 11 with 1:45 left, but Potsdam closed out the contest from the free-throw line. LaFountain led the late charge with nine of the Bears' 20 points. Hunter scored another five in the fourth.
Caivana matched Howard with a game-high 21 points to lead the Lakers. Shania Iglesias had nine points and Diamond Pickett added six points and nine rebounds.
Potsdam heads to first place SUNY Cortland tomorrow for a 2 p.m. contest.
