POTSDAM, N.Y. – The SUNY Potsdam women's basketball team (1-0) edged St. Lawrence University (0-1) 65-64 for their first win of the season and their first over the Saints since 2019. Graduate forward Jakia Howard (Syracuse, N.Y./Nottingham) paced the Bears with an impressive 27 point and 11 rebound double-double performance.
 
After quickly falling behind 5-0 to start the first quarter, junior guard Xy'El Bradford (Syracuse, N.Y./Syracuse Academy of Science) picked the ball free and passed it ahead to junior guard Mikayla Shipley (North Chili, N.Y./Churchville-Chili) who made a contested fastbreak layup for the and-one opportunity at 7:17. Neither team gained momentum over the following two minutes until sophomore guard Norah Niesz (Greenwich, N.Y./Greenwich Central) made a fastbreak jumper to put the Saints up 7-3 with 5:19 remaining. Both teams traded baskets until Potsdam went on a 5-0 run started by a left-handed lay-in from freshman guard Sara Richards (AuSable Valley, N.Y./AuSable Valley) with 1:24 to go in the quarter. Despite Bradford making another layup in the paint with 23 seconds remaining, the Saints took a 14-12 lead after one.
 
Freshman forward Elizabeth Flynn (Brentwood, Tenn./Ravenwood) scored the first points of the second quarter off an offensive putback for St. Lawrence. Less than a minute later at 8:49, sophomore guard Hannah Van Dyke (Southwick, Mass./Suffield) sank a 3-pointer to extend the Saints lead 19-14. The Bears then went on a 6-2 run to tie the game 23-23 with 4:54 remaining. Junior forward Jenna Cotter (Johnson City, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley) bullied her way in the paint, scoring four points during the run and junior guard Zavia Jaime (New Hartford, N.Y./New Hartford) made a fastbreak layup to tie the game off a steal from Richards. The Saints routed an 8-3 run in the final three minutes to take a 36-28 advantage into halftime.
 
St. Lawrence started the second half red-hot from deep. Van Dyke sank her second 3-pointer of the game followed by a long-range shot from Niesz to widen the Saints lead 46-34 at 5:06. The Saints continued to dominate the third quarter, stretching their lead to 17 points with 1:55 remaining. Howard scored the last four points for the Bears as the Saints took a 55-42 lead into the final quarter.
 
After an inspiring pep talk in the huddle, the Bears came out roaring to start the fourth quarter. Potsdam routed an 8-1 run in the first four minutes to cut the Saints lead 56-50 with 6:52 to go. Thirty seconds later, the roof nearly blew off the gym when Shipley made a cross-court pass to junior guard Carley Hill (Essex, Vt. Rice Memorial) who calmly sank a 3-pointer to trim the Saints lead to three. Despite the drastic momentum shift, the Saints continued to fight back, scoring four more points in the following two minutes to put them up 60-53 with 5:03 to go. However, the Bears clawed back in the following four minutes. Howard sank two free throws to tie the game 60-60 with 1:12 remaining before she made a fastbreak layup off an assist from Shipley to put Potsdam up two points with a minute to go. After a good defensive stop, Bradford was fouled and sent to the line where she hit two clutch free throws to put the Bears ahead 64-60 with 42 seconds remaining. On the next possession down the floor, sophomore guard Margaret Doughter (Norwich, N.Y./Norwich) nailed a contested 3-pointer to trim the Potsdam lead to one with 26 seconds to go. Despite the suffocating Saints defense, the Bears managed to inbound the ball to Howard who again was awarded two free throws. She only made one this time, putting Potsdam up 65-63 with 24 seconds to go. The Saints drew a blocking foul with two seconds remaining in the game, sending sophomore guard Jackie Malley (Reading, Mass./Reading) to the line for a chance to tie the game and send it to overtime. She drained the first, but the second shot bounced off the rim and into the hands of Howard to seal the victory for the Bears.
 
Bradford finished the evening with 12 points and five rebounds while Cotter scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Shipley chipped in nine points with four assists to round out the leaders for the Bears. Potsdam dominated the Saints down low, outscoring them 44-30 in the paint.
 
Van Dyke led the Saints with 11 points and five rebounds. Flynn followed closely behind with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Senior forward Cam Roberts (Boonville, N.Y./Adirondack) and Niesz each scored eight points.
 
The Bears are back in action next Friday, Nov. 17, when they travel to face Castleton University in the first game of the Plattsburgh Cardinal Classic at 5 p.m.