POTSDAM, N.Y.—A balanced scoring effort guided the SUNY Potsdam women's basketball team (10-11, 8-8 SUNYAC) past SUNY Fredonia (5-16, 2-14) on Saturday afternoon. Senior forward
Jakia Howard (Syracuse, N.Y./Nottingham) led the Bears with 18 points and nine rebounds. Senior forward
Mandy Barnell (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) scored a season-high 13 points and grabbed seven boards and sophomore guard
Xy'El Bradford (Syracuse, N.Y./Syracuse Academy of Science) scored 12 and added two steals. Senior guard
Dyamon Hunter (Bronx, N.Y./Thurgood Marshall Academy) had 10 points and five rebounds.
The Bears opened the contest on a 9-2 run. Hunter started things off with a 3-pointer 14 seconds into the contest. After the Blue Devils closed to within 13-10 at 1:17, Potsdam answered with a layup from Hunter and a three from sophomore guard
Zavia Jaime (New Hartford, N.Y./New Hartford). Potsdam led 19-13 after 10 minutes. Hunter had six points and Barnell and Bradford each had four.
Freshman guard Amber Louis (Homestead, Fla./Somerset Silver Palms) hit a three to cap a 7-0 Fredonia run to start the second quarter and give the Blue Devils a 20-19 lead at 8:13. The teams traded buckets and leads over the next five minutes of the contest. A layup from sophomore forward
Jenna Cotter (Johnson City, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley) broke a 24-24 tie at 3:53 and the Bears finished the half on a 10-5 run. Potsdam led 34-29 after two quarters. Hunter and Barnell each scored four more in the second and junior guard
Bella Barner (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) hit a three.
After a 6-0 burst got Fredonia within 36-35 of the third quarter, the Bears were able to get some separation. Howard scored on a layup seconds later that ignited a 13-2 Potsdam run. The Blue Devils were unable to get within eight for the rest of the quarter and Potsdam had 54-43 lead after 30 minutes. Howard and Bradford each did six points worth of damage and Barnell scored five more.
The Bears continued to attack as the fourth quarter progressed and increased their lead early. A 3-pointer from Howard at 5:42 gave Potsdam a 65-50 lead. The Blue Devils outscored the Bears 9-4 the rest of the way, but ran out of time, falling by 10. Howard and sophomore guard
Carley Hill (Essex, Vt./Rice Memorial) did all of the damage with 10 and five points, respectively.
Freshman forward Laurell Brown (Seville, Ohio/Cloverleaf) led Fredonia with 17 points. Louis finished with 15 and sophomore Mary Culeton (Oswego, N.Y./Oswego) added seven.
The Bears stay home for two final regular season games next weekend. SUNY Oneonta comes to Jerry Welsh Gymnasium for a 5:30 p.m. showdown on Friday. First place SUNY New Paltz invades on Saturday at 2 p.m.
