POTSDAM, N.Y.—The SUNY Potsdam women's basketball team (6-7, 2-5 SUNYAC) shot well in a 61-51 win over SUNY Brockport (7-7, 3-4) on Saturday afternoon. Graduate student forward
Jakia Howard (Syracuse, N.Y./Nottingham) recorded her 10th double-double of the season with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Potsdam started the contest red hot, scoring the first nine points of the game. Howard scored the first six points and junior guard
Carley Hill (Essex, Vt./Rice Memorial) capped the run with a three. The Golden Eagles answered with an 8-1 run, including six from junior forward Zoe Zutes (East Rochester, N.Y./East Rochester) and were within 10-8 at 4:35. Junior forward
Alivia Latham (Brooklyn, N.Y./John Dewey) and junior guard
Mikayla Shipley (North Chili, N.Y./Churchville-Chili) had Potsdam's last two baskets of the quarter, but Lutes added a three just before the buzzer. The Bears led 15-11 after 10 minutes.
Potsdam kept their lead of about seven to eight points most of the second quarter. Hill scored seven points and a three at the 3:00 mark gave the Bears their biggest lead of the half at 28-15. Brockport chipped away at the deficit and trailed just 30-23 at the half. Howard scored four more points in the second.
After an Eagles bucket to start the third quarter, Hill continued her deadly shooting with another three to make it 33-25 Potsdam at 8:28. After a lull for the Bears offense, junior guard
Barbara Bruno (Bronx, N.Y./Brooklyn HS for Law and Tech) gave the hosts two layups and junior forward
Jenna Cotter (Johnson City, N.Y./Susquehanna Valley) one to make it 41-32 Bears at 2:26. About 30 seconds later, Bruno was fouled and sank two free throws to give Potsdam its double digit lead back at 43-32. Howard added a layup with 34 seconds left and the Bears were up 45-36 after three quarters.
Sophomore guard Stephanie Jean-Baptiste (Jersey City, N.J./John Jay) opened the fourth quarter with a three to get Brockport within six. The scoring pace slowed after the basket, but Howard added six over the next few minutes, including a 3-pointer at 6:12 to increase the lead to 51-39. The teams alternated the next four baskets. Bruno scored at 5:34 and Cotter scored on a layup at 4:57 and Potsdam led 55-42. The Eagles were able to narrow the gap slightly, but never got within 10 points the rest of the way.
Hill finished with 13 points and Cotter scored 10 points. Bruno and Shipley finished with six and eight points, respectively.
Jean-Baptiste led the Golden Eagles with 13 points, five steals and five boards. Senior forward Zairea Hannah (Rochester, N.Y./Joseph C. Wilson Magnet) posted a double-double of 10 points and 14 rebounds. Zutes and junior guard Anna Lee (Johnstown, N.Y./Johnstown) each contributed seven points.
The Bears shot 43.1-percent from the floor, while holding Brockport to just 28.3.
Howard now has 1,034 points and ranks sixth in program history in scoring. She needs just 31 points to claim fourth place in the all-time ranks. Howard also ranks fourth for the Bears in rebounding with 682.
Potsdam is back on the road next weekend as the Bears travel to SUNY New Paltz on Friday and SUNY Oneonta on Saturday.
