POTSDAM, N.Y.—A third quarter surge propelled SUNY Canton (10-1) past the SUNY Potsdam women's basketball team (4-4) 64-57 on Tuesday evening. Graduate student forward Jakia Howard (Syracuse, N.Y./Nottingham) posted her seventh double-double of the season with 20 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Bears.
 
Howard and junior forward Jenna Cotter (Johnson City, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley) gave Potsdam an early 4-0 lead, but five straight points by Kangaroos senior guard Samantha Dayter (Cohoes, N.Y./Cohoes) erased the advantage at 5:43. Potsdam answered in kind with a bucket from Howard and a 3-pointer from junior guard Carley Hill (Essex, Vt./Rice Memorial) to grab a 9-5 advantage. Potsdam continued to grind and closed the first quarter with a 14-8 lead. Cotter scored six of the Bears' points in the opening 10 minutes.
 
A 6-3 start to the second quarter, punctuated by a Howard layup, gave Potsdam a 20-11 lead at 6:53. Cotter scored at 5:24 to give the Bears their biggest lead of the game at 25-14. However, a 12-6 finish to the half, led by five points from Canton freshman guard Sierra Pabo (San Jose, Calif./Santa Teresa), trimmed the lead to 31-26. Howard added six points to her total, while Cotter scored five and Hill and junior guard Xy'El Bradford (Syracuse, N.Y./Syracuse Academy of Science) each hit a three.
 
Canton broke out in the third quarter. After three buckets from Howard kept the Bears just in front. Pabo tied the game at 39-39 with a layup at 6:52. Junior center Jayda Pina (Tucson, Ariz./Marana) gave the Roos the lead for good just over a minute later, continuing an eventual 11-2 run. Two free throws from Bradford with 23 seconds left got the Bears within 52-45 through 30 minutes.
 
Four straight points from Bradford early in the fourth quarter narrowed the gap to just 54-52 with 7:14 to play. After the teams traded missed shots, Canton sophomore guard Hope Aniceto (Bolingbrook, Ill./Naperville North) scored from long range to take the wind out of the Bears sails and make it 57-52 with 5:39 left. Junior guard Mikayla Shipley (North Chili, N.Y./Churchville-Chili) finally answered with a three for Potsdam at 2:30 to close the gap to 60-55. Cotter then hit both free throws with 26 left, but Canton closed out the seven-point win.
 
Cotter posted the third double-double of her career with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Bradford matched a season-high 13 points and also corralled five boards.
 
Pabo led the Roos with 20 points and four boards. Anicieto scored 17 and posted six rebounds and five assists. Dayter finished with 11 points, six rebounds and four assists.
 
Howard continues her ascent to 1000 points. She currently has 963 points, placing her eighth on the program's all-time scoring list. Howard also ranks fifth on Potsdam's rebounds list with 637, just three behind Nicole Beaureguard '01 four fourth place.
 
The Bears are now off until Friday, January 5, when they host Buffalo State in a SUNYAC battle.