POTSDAM, N.Y. – The SUNY Potsdam men's basketball team (0-4) fell to crosstown rival Clarkson University (4-1) 104-100 in a high-scoring overtime affair. Junior guard Jeff Williamson (Brooklyn, N.Y./Christ the King) paced the Bears with a career-high 30 points on 45 percent shooting from deep. Junior forward Shaheed Alcide (Queens, N.Y./Cambria Heights Academy) was two rebounds shy of a double-double, registering a career-high 17 points and hauling down eight rebounds.
 
Neither team gained an advantage in the first three minutes of the game until Williamson sank a 3-pointer to extend the Potsdam lead 9-4 at 16:57. Clarkson then routed a 7-2 run over the following two minutes to tie the game 11-11. The Bears countered with a 6-0 run of their own to put them back ahead of the Golden Knights 17-11 with 12:56 remaining. Junior forward Kawar Singh (Queens, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy), junior guard MeSean Johnson (Ogdensburg, N.Y./Ogdensburg Free Academy), and senior guard Colton Huestis (Ticonderoga, N.Y./Ticonderoga) each scored during the run. With 10:38 to go in the first half, Huestis picked the ball free and scored a contested fastbreak layup to force the and-one opportunity for the Bears. He made the free-throw, putting Potsdam up 24-14. Three minutes later, Johnson dumped the ball down low to sophomore guard Jewliann Chery (Queens, N.Y./Cambria Heights Academy) who kissed glass on a turnaround jump hook to extend the Bears lead 36-24. Beginning at 4:57, senior guard Frankie Rainville (East Greenbush, N.Y./Columbia) led the Golden Knights on a 7-0 run to trim the Potsdam lead 40-37. Junior forward Finn Cork (Pelham, N.Y./Pelham) scored four points during the run. Clarkson scored four points in the final 42 seconds of the first half to trail the Bears 44-43 at halftime.
 
Potsdam routed a quick 4-0 run to start the second half, all four points coming from Williamson in first minute of the half. At 17:37, senior guard Isaac Oduro Jr. (Jamaica, N.Y./Christ the King) hauled down the defensive rebound and took it coast-to-coast to score a fastbreak layup to give the Bears a 53-43 advantage. Sophomore forward Aydin Kocak (East Greenwich, R.I./St. Andrews) and Rainville hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the following two minutes to put the Golden Knights back within five with 15:06 to go. Cork scored the next four points for Clarkson as they trailed Potsdam 55-54 when a timeout was called at 14:01 to stop their momentum. Coming out of the timeout, Johnson located junior forward Parker Kelly (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Beekmantown) for a 3-pointer that gave Potsdam momentum as they went up 58-54. After changing leads twice in the next two minutes, Clarkson took advantage of another small run, going ahead of the Bears 65-61 with 10:59 remaining. Williamson was on fire from deep in the latter part of the second half, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers to help Potsdam take back the lead 78-74 at 6:02. The score remained close to the wire when Alcide hit a free-throw on an and-one opportunity to tie the game 89-89 with 23 seconds remaining in the second half. The Bears were able to hold the Golden Knights at bay in the final possession and the game went to overtime.
 
Alcide got the Bears their first points in overtime off a contested layup in the paint. With 3:47 to go in the extra period, junior forward Jack Dalgety (Syracuse, N.Y./West Genesee) nailed a 3-pointer as the lead went back in Clarkson's favor 94-93. The Golden Knights began to pull away from the Bears when Cork scored three points in the following minute of the game to give them a four-point advantage. With 1:45 to go, freshman guard Nicholas Cortez (New York, N.Y./Forest Hills) found Williamson for his fifth 3-pointer of the game, tying the game 97-97. Freshman guard Braeden Burns (Jamesville, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) sank four free-throws in the final 1:30 to put the game out of reach as the Golden Knights sealed their fourth win of the season.
 
Johnson had a well-balanced stat line of 10 points, five rebounds, and a career-high 12 assists. Huestis tallied 10 points, Oduro Jr. registered 11 points, and Kelly posted nine points to round out the leaders for the Bears.
 
Cork registered a 34-point and 15-rebound double-double to pace the Golden Knights. Graduate guard Ryan Miles-Ferguson (San Mateo, Calif./San Mateo) scored 20 points and Burns tallied 19 points to compliment his teammate.
 
The Bears are back in action when they travel next Tuesday to face Route 11 rival SUNY Canton for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off with the Kangaroos.