ONEONTA, N.Y. – The SUNY Potsdam women's basketball team (10-14, 8-10 SUNYAC) bowed to SUNY Oneonta (19-7, 13-5 SUNYAC) at Dewar Arena Tuesday evening. Senior forward Jakia Howard (Syracuse, N.Y./Nottingham) and sophomore guard Carley Hill (Essex, Vt./Rice Memorial) both scored nine points to lead the Bears.
 
In front of 238 spectators the Red Dragons got off to a quick 4-0 start led by Olivia Dobrovosky who scored all four. At the 6:05 mark, Howard got the Bears on the board off an assist from senior guard Dyamon Hunter (Bronx, N.Y./Thurgood Marshall Academy). Both teams traded baskets for the following two minutes until Hunter managed to find sophomore forward Jenna Cotter (Johnson City, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley) open in the post to go ahead 7-6 with 3:41 left in the first. Junior guard Bella Barner (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) and Hill nailed back-to-back threes off assists from sophomore guard Mikayla Shipley (North Chili, N.Y./Churchville-Chili) to close out the opening quarter with a 13-10 advantage over the Red Dragons.
 
Oneonta opened the second quarter on a 14-2 run to put the Red Dragons ahead of Potsdam 24-15 midway through the quarter. Hill managed to stop the bleeding at the 5:08 mark after she hit her second three-pointer of the game to trail Oneonta by six. Neither team could find the bottom of the net until Hunter scored a layup with 1:53 remaining to cut the Red Dragons lead to four. Despite the defensive efforts, Oneonta netted two more baskets to take a 28-20 lead into the break.
 
The Red Dragons seized the momentum to start the second half as Oneonta routed a 7-2 run led by Meg Nardelli who sank five points in the run. Sophomore guard Xy'El Braford (Syracuse, N.Y./Syracuse Academy of Science) answered the Red Dragons by scoring the following four points of a 6-0 Potsdam run to cut the Oneonta lead 35-28. The Red Dragons continued to extend their lead to as much as 16 points with 1:27 remaining in the quarter before Hill hit another three-pointer to stop their momentum. Oneonta rolled to a 49-36 lead to end the third.
 
Potsdam struggled to find quality looks against a relentless Oneonta defense in the fourth quarter as the Red Dragons continued to outpace Potsdam until the final buzzer. Oneonta took the 62-45 win at home in the first round of the SUNYAC Playoffs.
 
Bradford netted seven points while Hunter, Cotter, and Barner all chipped in six points to round out the scoring for the Bears.
 
Nardelli and Dobrovosky each scored 18 points for the Red Dragons. Amanda Zuntag and Jenna Harclerode both tallied eight points.
 
After leading the Bears to their first playoff berth in 14 years, this contest ends the careers of Hunter, Howard, Barner, senior guard Caroline LaFountain (Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Saratoga Springs), and senior forward Mandy Barnell (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool).