POTSDAM, N.Y.—The SUNY Potsdam women's basketball team (9-14, 5-12 SUNYAC) defeated SUNY Oneonta (10-14, 8-9) 63-51 on Bear Pride Night. Graduate student forward Jakia Howard (Syracuse, N.Y./Nottingham) led all scorers with 21 points to go with six rebounds and three assists.
 
The first quarter ended as a 10-10 draw. A 3-pointer from junior guard Carley Hill (Essex, Vt./Rice Memorial) gave the Bears a 10-6 lead with 1:46 left, but the Red Dragons answered with back-to-back buckets to even the score.
 
Oneonta opened the second quarter with a 6-0 run and led 16-10 at 7:08. Potsdam answered with an 11-0 stretch for a 21-16 lead at 1:29. Junior guard Barbara Bruno (Bronx, N.Y./Brooklyn High School for Law and Technology) closed the Bears' scoring in quarter with two free throws and Potsdam led 23-20 at the break. Bruno and Howard each scored four points in the second quarter.
 
The Bears outscored Oneonta 20-16 in the third quarter. Potsdam built multiple five-point leads and the Red Dragons closed within a possession nearly every time. The Bears closed the quarter with a jumper form freshman guard Sara Richards (AuSable Valley, N.Y./AuSable Valley) and layup from junior guard Xy'El Bradford (Syracuse, N.Y./Syracuse Academy of Science) put Potsdam up 43-36 after 30 minutes.


The Bears opened the fourth quarter on a 6-2 run to for a 49-38 advantage at 6:46. Oneonta rallied a final time closing within 53-49 with 2:32 remaining. Potsdam closed out the contest, hitting all six free throws for the 63-51 final. Howard scored 10 of her points in the quarter.
 
Bruno finished with 12 points and four assists and Hill had nine points.
 
Senior guard Molly Stephens (LaGrange, N.Y./Arlington) paced the Red Dragons with 16 points and six rebounds. Junior forward Amanda Zuntag (Staten Island, N.Y./Notre Dame Academy) scored 10 points and grabbed four boards.
 
The Bears are back in action tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. when they wrap up the season against SUNY New Paltz.