CORTLAND, N.Y.—The SUNY Potsdam men's basketball team (1-5, 1-0 SUNYAC) rallied past SUNY Cortland (1-4, 0-1) for a 71-69 road victory in the SUNYAC opener.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Two free throws from sophomore guard Mohammad Sylla (Bronx, N.Y./Darrow) got the Bears within 8-7, but Cortland answered with a 13-3 run to grab a 20-11 lead at 10:33.

• Back-to-back buckets got the Bears back within 20-15, but Cortland closed the half with a 14-12 edge and led 34-27 at the break. Sophomore guard Nicholas Cortez (Harlem, N.Y./La Salle Academy) had 13 points in the opening 20 minutes.

• Potsdam opened the second half on a 21-13 run. A Sylla layup at 9:42 gave Potsdam a 48-47 lead with 9:42 left.
• The Red Dragons quickly regained the lead, but couldn't shake the Bears. Sylla went on a personal 7-0 run late to make it 71-67. He tied the game with a three and then had two layups to give Potsdam the lead for good.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• The Bears shot 43.8-percent from the floor to Cortland's 41.2.
• The Red Dragons had a 41-37 edge on the glass.
• Sylla finished with a game-high 24 points to go with six boards and two steals.
• Cortez finished with a career-high 23 points and grabbed five rebounds.
• Senior forward Parker Kelly (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Beekmantown) contributed 11 points and six rebounds.
• Isaiah Austin led the Red Dragons with 14 points.
• The victory was Potsdam's first over Cortland since January 25, 2020 and the first in Cortland since January 18, 2019.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Bears head to Morrisville State tomorrow for a 4 p.m. SUNYAC contest.