OSWEGO, N.Y.—Oswego State (4-2, 1-0 SUNYAC) held off a fourth quarter charge from the SUNY Potsdam women's basketball team (4-2, 0-1) and went on to a 55-51 victory on Friday evening. Graduate student forward Jakia Howard (Syracuse, N.Y./Nottingham) led the Bears with another double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds. Junior guard Carley Hill (Essex, Vt./Rice Memorial) contributed 10 points and four boards.
 
The Lakers started quickly, scoring the first six points of the contest. Junior guard Xy'El Bradford (Syracuse, N.Y./Syracuse Academy of Science) got Potsdam on the board at 5:11 with a free throw. Graduate student forward Jakia Howard (Syracuse, N.Y./Nottingham) had the Bears first bucket with 1:55 on the clock and Potsdam was down 9-3. Junior forward Jenna Cotter (Johnson City, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley) added layup with 58 seconds remaining and Howard scored again 26 seconds later to close to within 11-7. However, Oswego's Logan Castiglione closed the opening 10 minutes with a three and the Lakers led 14-7 after one.
 
Junior guard Zavia Jaime (New Hartford, N.Y./New Hartford) started the Bears off in the second quarter with a three and Potsdam was down just four. The Lakers countered with a 10-6 run and took a 24-16 lead into the break. Junior guard Carley Hill (Essex, Vt./Rice Memorial), Cotter and Howard accounted for the other six points.
 
The Lakers opened the third on an 8-2 stretch capped by a three from Castiglione that made it 32-18 at 7:46. The Bears answered with a 10-3 run and a layup Cotter got Potsdam within 35-28 at 5:14. The Bears continued to press and another Cotter layup got them within 40-35 after 30 minutes. Hill led the charge with two threes and eight points. Cotter had four points and Bradford added three from the charity stripe.
 
After Oswego extended its lead back to 45-37, a Howard free throw and a Jaime three got the Bears within four at 7:46. A Laker layup from Giavanna White-Principio made it 50-43. A Howard three followed by a layup had Potsdam down just 50-49 at 2:14. White-Principio hit a jumper at 1:25 and it was 52-49. Howard scored again at 26 seconds and it was a one point game. A foul with 17 seconds left send the Lakers to the free-throw line. Sydney Hoefts hit both and to make it a 54-51 contest. A Castiglione free throw closed the scoring at 55-51.
 
Cotter finished with eight points and nine rebounds and Bradford had five points and two steals.
 
White-Principio paced the Lakers with 14 points and 18 rebounds. Hoefs and Castiglione each had seven points .
 
The Bears shot 34.6 percent from the floor and held Oswego to just 29.5, however the Lakers controlled the glass with a 47-36 advantage in rebounds.
 
Potsdam is back in action tomorrow afternoon when the Bears travel to SUNY Cortland for a 2 p.m. contest.