St. Lawrence Women Survive Union in Home Semifinal Win 56-55

SUNY Potsdam’s Rob Duquette (34) flies up for a lay-up against a block attempt by SUNY Plattsburgh’s Reggie Williams (21). Three Bears reached double-digits as the Potsdam men’s basketball team ended a 12-game skid in a 67-54 victory over Plattsburgh. Potsdam captain Curtis Pierce had a game-high 19 points.  (Ryan Bercume photo)  Game Gallery 

February 14: Curtis Pierce (Brooklyn, N.Y./George Westinghouse) recorded his seventh double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds. The performance pulled Pierce to within 10 points of 1,000 on his career, but was not enough to get the SUNY Potsdam men’s basketball team (5-18, 3-13 SUNYAC) past Oneonta (3-21 2-15) as the Bears fell 71-57. The Red Dragons quickly gained the upper hand thanks to a 7-0 run. The spurt gave Oneonta a 16-4 lead less than four minutes into the game. Potsdam chipped away at the deficit and cut the score to 20-10 with 11:21 remaining. Neither team managed a field goal for four and a half minutes until Pierce knocked down a three-point basket. Junior guard Josh Lambert (Brooklyn, N.Y./East New York Transit Tech) scored a driving basket on the ensuing possession and cut the lead to 21-15. However, Oneonta responded with a 7-0 run over the next 1:13 to push the lead back up to 13. Twice over the final three minutes Potsdam cut the lead to 10, but never got the deficit to single digits. Frankie Kelly’s layup with three seconds left on the clock gave the Red Dragons a 34-22 lead going into halftime. The Red Dragons opened the second half on a 20-6 run to extend their lead to 54-28 over the first nine minutes. The Bears and Red Dragons traded baskets for the next four minutes. With 5:13 remaining, Lambert hit a three to start a 17-7 Bears’ run to end the game. Pierce hit another Potsdam three with 2:58 on the clock to cut the Oneonta lead to 66-46. During the next 90 seconds, forward Zac Adams (Potsdam, N.Y./Potsdam) and sophomore guard Chris Whispell (Potsdam, N.Y./Potsdam) each connected from long range to complete the Bears streak of four consecutive threes. Two free throws from sophomore guard Yusef Graves (Harlem, N.Y./Eagle Academy For Young Men) got the Potsdam to within 13, but the Bears ran out of time. Adams finished with nine points and Lambert with eight. Kelly led all scorers with 21 for Oneonta, while Dan Lee and Alex Skrelji added 12 and 10 points, respectively. The Red Dragons outshot the Bears 48 to 41 percent from the floor. Potsdam wraps up its season on the road this weekend at Geneseo and Brockport. The Bears face the Blue Knights at 8 p.m. on Friday and the Golden Eagles at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

February 10:     Three Bears reached double-digits as the SUNY Potsdam men’s basketball team (5-17, 3-12 SUNYAC) ended a 12-game skid in a 67-54 victory over Plattsburgh (7-15, 5-10). Potsdam junior captain Curtis Pierce tied the game-high with 19 points, while junior guard Josh Lambert had a season-high 17, and sophomore captain Rob Duquette (Peru, N.Y./Peru) added 10. The Cardinals held the edge early in a slow offensive contest. Two free throws from sophomore forward Shavar Fields gave Plattsburgh a 12-8 lead at 11:20 of first half. However, a three from Bears senior guard Skip Schwartz, a jumper and free throw from Pierce put Potsdam back in front 14-12 at 9:04. Freshman forward Ezra Hodgson answered with a three of his own to give the Cardinals their last lead of the half. Pierce hit another layup at 2:05 to cap a 15-4 Bears run and Potsdam held a 27-19 advantage. A Fields jumper with 49 seconds left brought Plattsburgh to within 29-23 at the break. The Cardinals chipped away at the lead and finally edged ahead 37-36 as senior guard Ketema Brooks completed a three-point play at 13:09. Two minutes later Brooks hit a three to finish an 8-0 Plattsburgh run. Hodgson hit a three at 10:09 to give the Cardinals a 45-38 lead, their biggest of the game. Lambert answered with a three to stop the slide and shift momentum back in the Bears’ favor. Pierce hit a three at the 6:39 mark to ignite an 18-0 Potsdam run. When the dust settled the Bears led 63-50 with two minutes remaining. Two free throws from Duquette and a final layup from Lambert put the game away. Potsdam shot nearly 55 percent from the floor to Plattsburgh’s 45 and outrebounded the Cardinals 25-20. Fields finished with 19 and sophomore guard John Perez chipped in 10 for Plattsburgh. “I was really proud of our effort,” said Bears Head Coach Sherry Dobbs. “We really played hard. You really have to hand it to our guys. They’ve had a lot of opportunities to pack it in and they have been nothing but tough for the last three weeks. Curtis Pierce and Josh Lambert played as well as I’ve seen them play.” Dobbs also had plenty of praise for his supporting cast. “I thought Corey Ellis, Chris Whispell, Wesley Francisco and Jake Klossner were the key for us to win the game,” added Dobbs. “They gave us unbelievably great minutes off the bench and great energy. They really did a super job.”

SUNY Potsdam’s Curtis Pierce (22) dribble penetrates to the hoop, while an Oswego defender attempts to swipe the ball. SUNY Oswego ran its unbeaten conference winning streak to 11 games by defeating SUNY Potsdam 76-56. Potsdam trailed by just three points at the start of the second half, before fading.  (Grant Sharlow photo)  Game Gallery

Brockport’s Donnell Jackson "shakes the building" after getting in open space for a dunk. Brockport used a first-half surge to grab the lead and never relinquished it en route to a 62-57 victory over SUNY Potsdam. Brockport's John Ivy scored 21 points. Curtis Pierce paced the Bears with 19 points and seven rebounds.   (Taylor Caswell photo)  Game Gallery

SUNY Potsdam’s Tony Efese (1) drives hard to the hoop and finishes with a dunk. The Bears pulled out a dramatic 72-68 win against Oneonta in overtime. Sophomore Tony Efese led the charge with 21 points and nine rebounds while sophomore Rob Duquette (Peru, N.Y.) scored five of his 16 points in overtime.
(Scott Bartenstein photo)  Game Gallery

Clarkson’s Jerry Coleman (21) collides with Hobart’s Stefan Thompson (1) as the both dive on a loose ball midway through the second half.  A 15-8 run down the stretch for Hobart College was enough to hold off Clarkson as the Golden Knights (7-4, 14-6 overall) fell to the Statesmen 64-54 in Liberty League action.  (Taylor Caswell photo)  Game Gallery
Hobart’s Richie Bonny (5) makes a strong move toward the basket through the Clarkson defense for a bucket-and-one.

February 11: With a 16-for-18 performance from the free throw line, the Clarkson University Men’s Basketball team eliminated any hopes of a comeback by Bard College, as the Golden Knights defeated the visiting Raptors 82-70 in Liberty League action Saturday afternoon at Alumni Gymnasium. The Golden Knights improved to 15-8 overall and moved their conference record to 8-6 in the Liberty League, very much alive for the final playoff spot. Bard dropped to 4-18 overall and 1-12 in conference. Clarkson will play its final games of the regular season at Union College and Rensselaer for the right to continue its season in the conference tournament. The Knights recovered from a poor shooting performance on Friday by getting right into their offensive flow on Saturday, but despite their best efforts they couldn’t shake Bard in the first half. Clarkson went up six points early after a Jerry Coleman (Potsdam, NY) lay up, but a quick timeout by the Raptors ended the run. The Knights pushed their advantage to as many as six points on several occasions, but Bard always had an answer, and the Raptors were able to get back within one point late in the first half as Siondueh Burnette made a steal at the top of the key and went in for an uncontested dunk. Though Bard was within one on a hand full of occasions, Clarkson would again extend the lead to six and never relinquish their advantage, settling the first 20 minutes with a four-point edge. For Clarkson, Marques Charlton (Deer Park, NY) had eight points on 3-for-3 shooting, and Bard was led by Burnette, who had 10 points on 5-for-6 shooting from the field. Though a pair of free throws early on allowed the Raptors to get back within two points, Clarkson was able to hit clutch shots at key moments to push the lead to double figures. A 3-pointer from Dylan Hodownes (Honeoye Falls, NY) with seven minutes to go gave Clarkson a 17-point lead, but the Raptors wouldn’t go away, making shots down the stretch. Bard was back within seven points with two minutes to go, but Felix Llanos (Queens, NY) came back with a 3-pointer to regain a double-digit advantage. Clarkson was able to make free throws down the stretch, thanks to Jerry Coleman, Charlton, and Llanos, giving the Knights a 12-point advantage at the end. Llanos finished with 21 points, but took 23 shots to get his points, while Charlton finished with 16 points, going 8-for-8 from the free throw line. Jerry Coleman added 12 points, and Nate Uline (Gansevoort, NY) had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. For Bard, Burnette had 19 points, shooting 9-for-10 from the floor, and Matt Shubert contributed 16 points, but shot just 5-for-18 overall and 1-for-9 from beyond the 3-point arc.

February 10: A poor shooting performance from the Clarkson University Men’s Basketball team coupled with a solid game plan from Vassar College provided the Brewers with an upset, as they downed the Golden Knights 63-54 in Liberty League action Friday evening at Alumni Gymnasium. The Golden Knights fell to 14-8 overall and 7-6 in the Liberty League, while Vassar improved to 7-14 and 3-9. Clarkson will try to keep its playoff hopes alive on Saturday when it hosts Bard, while the Brewers will travel to St. Lawrence. Clarkson struggled from the field to start the game, as Vassar jumped out to a 13-2 lead by holding the Knights to a 0-for-7 performance in the first seven minutes with a handful of turnovers. Clarkson finally got on the board with a field goal when Nate Uline (Gansevoort, NY) converted on the interior at the 12:17 mark. While Vassar continued to make shots from outside, the Knights got on track with mid-range jumpers and free throws, tying the game at 27-27 when John Coleman (Potsdam, NY) made a steal and hit a lay up with less than four minutes remaining in the half. A tip in by Uline with less than a minute to go put Clarkson up by a point at intermission, an impressive comeback considering the slow start. The second half started much like the first, but for Clarkson’s shooters it was actually worse. Clarkson didn’t score until nearly five minutes had expired in the second half, and didn’t make a basket until Felix Llanos (Queens, NY) made a shot on the break with nearly nine minutes gone. The Knights made just one field goal attempt until Jerry Coleman (Potsdam, NY) hit a 3-pointer with 6:51 to go in the game, and at that point Clarkson trailed by double figures. Meanwhile, Vassar employed a solid game plan by slowing the pace down and using penetration and kicks to get open shots. Following a 3-pointer from Llanos at the 3:42 mark, Clarkson trailed by just eight points, but Vassar continued to get to the rim and make free throws when the chances were there, while the Knights couldn’t keep things going. Tyler Barron (Burlington, VT) made a 3-pointer in the waning seconds to get Clarkson back within nine points, but that marked only two times that Clarkson was within 10 over the final 16 minutes of the game. Llanos finished with 19 points and was the only player in double figures for Clarkson, while John Coleman chipped in nine points, six rebounds, and three steals. Clarkson shot just 8-for-27 (29.6%) in the second half, while the Brewers went 12-for-26 for a 46.2% clip. Jon Herzog led all scorers with 22 points despite being in foul trouble, while Nick Justiz slowed the game down at the point and had 12 points and eight rebounds. Johnny Mrlik also added 10 points and nine boards for Vassar.
 
 

Clarkson University senior Jerry Coleman (21) tries to dribble through two R.P.I. defenders.  Clarkson men scored their most points since late in the 1989-90 season, outdistancing Rensselaer 106-94.  (Grant Sharlow photo)  Game Gallery

Clarkson’s Jerry Coleman protects the ball while going up for a lay up past St. Lawrence University Ralph Temgoua. St. Lawrence battled to a 25-24 halftime lead, but could not overcome a strong second half of shooting by Liberty League rival Clarkson. The Knights won 65-52. Coleman scored 18 points.  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

Morrisville’s Kyle Gordon rises up for a hard-earned two points as he is toughly defended by the Golden Knights' defense. (Taylor Caswell photo)  Game Gallery

St. Lawrence University’s Ralph Temgoua (21) drives baseline while being defended by Clarkson’s Charles McAllister. St. Lawrence battled to a 25-24 halftime lead, but could not overcome a strong second half of shooting by Liberty League rival Clarkson. The Knights won 65-52. Coleman scored 18 points.  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

February 11: The St. Lawrence University men's basketball team suffered a 58-57 loss to Vassar College in Liberty League action on Saturday evening. St. Lawrence, which battled back from an early 11-3 deficit to take a 33-26 lead at the intermission, fell to 14-9 and 10-5 in the Liberty League.  Sophomore Al Jones led the team with 14 points, including 8-of-8 from the free throw line.  First-year student Brady Condlin had 10 points and six rebounds, while senior Terry Parham had 10 points and three assists.  Seniors Ralph Temgoua and Garrett Sharlow combined for 18 points and 12 rebounds. Vassar improved to 8-14 with a 4-9 mark in the league, and was led by Jon Herzog's 21 points, while Johnny Mrlik added 15 points.   Vassar battled back in second half to tie the game on a 3-pointer by Evan Carberry at 12:37.  The next 11:00 minutes featured three lead changes and six ties, the last coming when Sharlow knotted the game at 55-55 with 1:16 left to play.  A 3-pointer by Mrlik put the visitors up, 58-55, but a layup by Sharlow with :46 seconds left brought the home team back to within one point, 58-57.  After a missed jumper by Carberry with :12 seconds left, the Saints got off a final shot that did not fall.   St. Lawrence out-rebounded Vassar 33-26 and made 24-of-26 free throws.  The Saints finished shooting 36% from the field, while the Brewers shot 40%.

February 10: Four reached double-figures as the St. Lawrence University men's basketball team downed Bard College, 79-59, in Liberty League action on Friday night.  The Saints, who stretched their win-streak to six games, used an 18-3 run over the last six minutes of the first half that proved to be too much for the visitors.  St. Lawrence, which improved to 14-8 and 10-4 in the league, was led by senior co-captain Garrett Sharlow's 18 points and nine rebounds.  Joining him in double-figures was senior co-captain Ralph Temgoua (14 points, 6 rebounds), junior Kyle Miller (11 points) and senior Terry Parham (10 points, 6 assists).   Bard fell to 4-17 and 1-11 in the league.   After taking a 34-19 lead into the locker room, the Saints stretched their lead to on a 3-pointer by Miller.  Bard trimmed the home team's 18 point lead down to seven, twice. The last time was at 12:09 left in the game, but a 10-0 run sparked by Temgoua pushed the lead back up to 17, and the Saints didn't allow Bard to get closer than 13 for the remainder of the game. The Saints will host Vassar tomorrow afternoon at 4:00pm
 

St. Lawrence University’s Al Jones (11) soars for the lay-in through SUNY Brockport’s Donnell Jackson (1) and Gerald Williams (20). The Saints men's basketball team suffered an 84-77 loss against The College at Brockport on Tuesday night in the Burkman Gymnasium. (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

St. Lawrence University’s Tell White and Kyle Miller battle for a rebound with SUNY Brockport’s Kazeem Are (4).  

St. Lawrence University’s Garrett Sharlow (32) of Massena, NY draws the foul from SUNY Oswego’s Conor Monaghan (4).
(Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

SUNY Canton’s Eric Philippeau (33) grabs a defensive rebound away from Keuka’s Coty Paige (12).  The Kangaroos improved to 2-0 beating Keuka 67-49.  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

SUNY Canton’s Ryan Lamica (3) of Constable, NY/Franklin Academy jumps for the loose ball along with a Keuka player.

February 10: Four SUNY Canton players scored in double-digit points as the Roos separated themselves from the Eagles in the second half of a non-conference game Friday night at the Eagle Dome winning 83-69. The Roos, who improved to 12-9 overall, went on an 8-0 run, highlighted by a jumper and layup by sophomore Khalid Vaughn (New York, N.Y.), to take a 15-8 lead through the first 5:45 of the game. The Eagles stormed back to narrow the gap to two at 34-32 with 0:53 remaining, but SUNY Canton closed the half with four unanswered points to take a 37-32 lead into the break. Junior Irving Cato (New York, N.Y.) led the Kangaroos out of the half posting six points within the first three minutes and SUNY Canton was able to extend its lead to as many as 19 points before the Eagles could respond.  Green Mountain came back with some improved discipline and energy and were able to close the gap to 71-62 with 3:52 remaining in the game. The Eagles unfortunately could not get any closer than that as Canton put the game away by hitting its free throws down the stretch. Of the four SUNY Canton players to score in double-digits, freshman forward Tyler Ellison (New York, N.Y.) topped them all reaching 17 points in the game. Cato posted a double-double registering 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Vaughn chipped in with 13 points and six rebounds, while junior forward Woody Jules (Brooklyn, N.Y.) had 13 points and seven boards, most of which came from deep in the paint. Carnelius Green nearly had a triple-double as he registered 24 points, nine rebounds and seven assists on the night to lead the Eagles. Jeremiah Aponte totaled 17 points, nine rebounds and six assists. The Roos host the College of St. Joseph (Vt.) on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 3 p.m.

February 9: Despite a season-high 25 points from junior Irving Cato (New York, N.Y.) the SUNY Canton men’s basketball team dropped a four-point loss to The Sage Colleges losing 67-63 at the Kahl Center in Albany. Cato shot a scorching 61 percent hitting 11 of 18 shots from the field and he also grabbed 12 rebounds for another double-double. Junior Woody Jules (Brooklyn, N.Y.) also reached double figures with 11 points and sophomore Khalid Vaughn (New York, N.Y.) added nine points, five rebounds and four steals. Mason Horne led the Gators with 16 points and nine boards and Matt Farbotko contributed 15 points and seven rebounds. The Roos are next in action this Sunday when they host the College of St. Joseph (Vt.) at 3 p.m. 

SUNY Potsdam’s Josh Lambert (24) drives to the hoop along the baseline, while Plattsburgh’s Ketemba Brooks (5) looks to play sound defense against the penetration.

February 10: The Plattsburgh State men’s basketball teams’ quest for a post season berth suffered a setback Friday night. The Cardinals (7-15, 5-10 SUNYAC) lost on the road 67-54 to SUNY Potsdam (5-17, 3-12 SUNYAC) in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action.   Despite leading by five with just under seven minutes left, the Cardinals finished slowly and allowed the Bears to take a crucial victory in the hunt for a playoff berth.   The Bears shot an impressive 40 percent from three-point range, compared to the Cardinals 15.8 percent.   Shavar Fields led Plattsburgh with 19 points and four rebounds. John Perez added 10 points of his own on 4-of-8 shooting, while Ketema Brooks scored eight points and added three assists. Brooks is now just three assists short of breaking the program’s all-time record, which stands at 370. Ezra Hodgson also scored eight points after going 3-for-6 from the floor.   The Bears were led by Curtis Pierce and his 19 points. Pierce shot 7-of-15 from the field, while Josh Lambert scored 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting.   The Cardinals will travel to New Paltz for another crucial SUNYAC game Tuesday at 6 p.m.

February 4: A game littered with fouls finished with the Plattsburgh State men’s basketball team (7-14, 5-9 SUNYAC) losing 63-60 to Fredonia State (12-7, 7-6 SUNYAC) in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action Saturday on Senior Day. Prior to the game the Cardinals honored their three seniors, Ketema Brooks, Josh Bruno and Junghoon Roh. Bruno was a part of the 07-08 SUNYAC Championship winning team, while all three seniors were members of the 09-10 SUNYAC Championship winning team. The Blue Devils trailed for most of the game, but Julius Bryant nailed a free throw shot with 3:47 left in the game to give them the lead. John Perez hit back 1:30 later to give the lead back to the Cardinals, but Amir Billups drained a three pointer with 39 seconds left to give the Blue Devils the lead for good. A game which saw 47 fouls and three players foul out of the game was decided at the free throw line. The Blue Devils shot 26-of-35 from the charity stripe and the Cardinals shot 18-of-25. Perez was 6-for-7 from the line and scored 14 total points, while Bruno notched 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting. Shavar Fields added eight points and eight rebounds. Bryant led the Blue Devils with 25 points, including going 13-for-18 from the free throw line. Leonard Smith was 9-of-10 from the line and scored 14 points, while Amir Billups added 13 points. The Cardinals take to the road next Friday when they visit Potsdam for an important SUNYAC matchup.

North Country men's scores are posted in next column.
To date, no details have been provided for the games.

SUNY Potsdam’s Chenice Russell (11) from Moira, NY, is able to get off a pass while defended closely by SUNY Oswego’s Kassie Kleine (12). Climbing back from an 11-point hole, the Bears pulled within four points of Oswego in the final two-minutes, but could not gain the lead. The Lakers defeated Potsdam 58-50.  (Grant Sharlow photo)  Game Gallery

Potsdam’s Katy Briedis (15) from Canton, NY, quickly throws her arm out to block the pass from Oswego’s Kari Kipper (21). 

February 14: Junior Katy Briedis (Canton, N.Y./Cushing Academy) scored 15 of her game-high 17 points in the second half and led Potsdam (5-18, 3-13 SUNYAC) to an upset victory over first-place Oneonta, 57-51. The Bears connected on seven three-point baskets and held the Red Dragons (16-7, 14-3) to only 33 percent shooting from the field, including 26.7 percent in the second half. Potsdam came out of the gate hot and knocked down 3-of-4 shots to jump out to a 6-2 lead which forced the Red Dragons to call a timeout. The stoppage of play wouldn’t slow the Bears and they extended the lead to 13-4 thanks to a jumper from Sophie Parks (Bogart, Ga./North Oconee). Oneonta St. would cut the lead to 15-12 but sophomore Hannah Kmiecinski (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas) knocked down a three. The Red Dragons continued to fight but couldn’t draw even. Sophomore Jessica Kouzan (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) hit back-to-back three-pointers to give Potsdam a 30-23 lead which would be cut to 30-25 going into the break. Freshman Bailey Weigel (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville East) paced the Bears with nine first half points, while the Red Dragons were led by Samantha Szkotak who had 12. Oneonta began the half on a 6-0 run to take their first lead of the game at 31-30. They would push the lead to 33-31 but junior Katy Briedis hit a three and start an 8-0 run. Oneonta would fight back and tie the game at 41 but Briedis would answer with another timely three-point basket. Again the Red Dragons clawed back and knotted the game at 46 with just over four minutes remaining. It was Briedis again giving the Bears a lead with a steal at mid court and a breakaway layup. Oneonta answered with a three by Szkotak to take a 49-48 lead as only 2:30 remained. Weigel hit a driving layup and gave Potsdam a slight one point lead which they wouldn’t relinquish. A Briedis free throw made the score 51-49 and Oneonta had possession with 37 seconds on the clock. Senior Kaley Arsenault (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill) made the defensive play of the game on the Red Dragons ensuing play as she came from nowhere to block a layup attempt that would have tied the game. Kouzan and Briedis would ice the victory with clutch free throws down the stretch. Weigel finished with 14 points and Kouzan had nine points and six rebounds. Potsdam shot 42.2 percent from the field and hit 35 percent from the three point line in the win. The Red Dragons were led by 16 points from Szkotak who was the only Oneonta player to score in double-digits. The loss knocked the Red Dragons out of first place and into a tie for second in the SUNYAC. Coach Tara Ruckh was happy with her team’s performance. “Tonight, we were able to put it all together,” said Ruckh. “We attacked them offensively and forced them out of their zone and we executed our game plan on the defensive end. Katy made some big shots down the stretch and everyone contributed in one way or another.” She also had praise for her seniors who played in their final home game tonight. “I am really proud of the senior and happy for them. They were able to end their career with a big win and take out the top team in our conference.” The Bears look to carry the momentum from tonight on to their next game. Potsdam travels to Geneseo with tipoff scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday night.

February 10:  The Plattsburgh State Cardinals used a balanced scoring attack to defeat Potsdam by a final score of 64-56. Five players scored at least eight points for the Cardinals (9-12, 6-9 SUNYAC) who were led by 14 points and seven rebounds from Kathleen Payne. The two teams battled in the first half but couldn’t gain the upper hand. The lead changed hands six times and was tied on four other occasions. The Bears (4-18, 2-14) biggest lead was four points thanks to a three-point basket by Jessica Kouzan giving Potsdam a 27-23 advantage with 4:17 remaining. The score would be Potsdam’s last of the half and the Cardinals would counter with a 10-0 run and went into the break with a 33-27 lead. Potsdam shot 30.6 percent in the half and held a slight 23-21 advantage on the boards. Kouzan led the team with seven first-half points while Payne countered with eight for the Cardinals. The spurt that Plattsburgh St. went on to end the first half carried over to start the second period. The Cardinals scored the first 10 points which gave the Cardinals a commanding 43-27 lead. The Bears answered with a 7-0 stretch to cut back into the lead with senior Kaley Arsenault accounting for four points to put Potsdam back in striking distance a 43-34. The Cardinals would get the lead back to 10 but again the Bears rallied. Another 7-0 run cut the lead as Kouzan’s jumper pulled her team within three at 46-43 with just over eight minutes left. After exchanging three pointers, junior Katy Briedis hit a free-throw to make it 49-47. From that point, Plattsburgh St. outscored the Bears 15-9 to pull out the win. For the game, Kouzan and Arsenault led the team in scoring with 11 and freshman Bailey Weigel pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds.  

SUNY Potsdam’s Chenice Russell (11) of Moira, NY passes while pressured from behind by St. Lawrence University’s Cassie St. Hilaire (14). An 18-4 run to open the second half helped the Saints earn a 71-49 win over Potsdam. Katie Edgerton and Casey Capello combined for 25 points, while 13 other Saints scored.  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery 

SUNY Canton’s Kaitlin Myers (34) gets a hand inside to block the baseline jump shot of SUNY Potsdam’s Bailey Weigel (10).

St. Lawrence University’s Breezy Dwyer protects the ball from Clarkson’s Taliah Pounds who dives in an attempt to steal the ball. St. Lawrence outlasted Clarkson 55-49 to improved to 3-0 in Liberty League play and 7-4 overall. Three players reached double figures for the Saints who won their fourth straight game.   (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

St. Lawrence University’s Kelly Legg (42) knocks down a jumper over SUNY Potsdam’s Colleen McNamara (2).  The Saints ignited for an 18-4 run to open the second half, building a 71-49 victory.   (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery 

February 11: The St. Lawrence University women's basketball team extended its win-streak to 16 games with a 70-62 victory over Liberty League opponent Vassar College on Saturday afternoon. St. Lawrence, led by two in double-figures, improved to 19-4 and remains undefeated in the Liberty League with a mark of 15-0.  Sophomore Kelly Legg had a double-double, recording 20 points and 11 rebounds, while adding four blocks and two assists.  Senior co-captain Katie Edgerton had 18 points, including 6-of-6 from the free throw line, and added four rebounds. Vassar, which battled back from a 17-3 first-half deficit, fell to 13-9 with a 7-6 record in the league.  Four Brewers reached double-figures, led by Brittany Parks and Cydni Matsuoka.  Parks tallied 15 points, six assists and two blocks.  Matsuoka also had 15 points, and added three assists.  Colleen O'Connell had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds, while Kristyn Tempora added 10 points and six rebounds. "It was certainly a fun basketball game, as both teams really played well today," said St. Lawrence head coach Dan Roiger, whose team will face Skidmore in the team's regular season finale on Tuesday night at the Burkman Gymnasium.  "A game like this certainly helps us down the line, but it's certainly a nice victory for our program on Senior Day."  The Saints jumped out to a 17-3 lead over the first 7:00 minutes of play, though Vassar showed its resilience by responding with a 27-11 run over the next 10:00 minutes to take a 30-28 lead on a 3-pointer by Cydni Matsuoka at 3:32.  The teams exchanged leads for the remainder of the half, but senior Iris Santoni knocked down a jumper to close the half and give the Scarlet and Brown a 34-33 lead at the intermission. The second half was another back-and-forth affair that included a total of 24 fouls that made free throw shooting a premium.  Though St. Lawrence was unable to convert on several quality chances, the defense made up for the struggles, holding Matsuoka and Parks to 3-of-9 shooting in the second half. With the game's outcome still very much in doubt, the Saints turned to first-year point guard Kara McDuffee, who scored back-to-back baskets with 6:00 minutes left in regulation that gave the home team separation.  Thanks to solid rebounding and clutch free throws by Edgerton in the final minute, the Saints were able to celebrate the 70-62 win on "Senior Day." 

February 10: The St. Lawrence University women's basketball team won its 15th straight game with a 85-19 victory over Bard College in Liberty League action on Friday night. Twelve different players scored, led by rookie Maddy Wetterhahn's 13 points and six rebounds. "Today we were able to distribute the ball and run our fastbreak," said St. Lawrence head coach Dan Roiger.  "We accomplished exactly what we wanted to and should be well rested and prepared for tomorrow's game."  The Saints, who led 36-8 at halftime, improved to 18-4 with a 14-0 mark in the Liberty League. First-year student Adriana Spicer joined Wetterhahn in double-figures with 11 points, while senior Katie Edgerton, sophomores Cassie St. Hilaire and Kathleen McCallops, and first-year student Kara McDuffee each added eight points. McDuffee also dished out seven assists and added five steals and two blocks. St. Lawrence will battle Vassar College tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 in the Burkman Gymnasium.

St. Lawrence University’s Katie Edgerton (21) gets a timeout call while on the floor.  St. Lawrence pressured the ball well in the opening minutes as Clarkson failed to get on the board until almost 6:00 minutes into the half.  Edgerton made the half's only 3-pointer in the final minute to give the Saints a 21-20 advantage at the half.  The teams exchanged leads several times in the second half, though St. Lawrence reclaimed the lead for good as it netted 8-of-10 free throws in the final minutes to earn the 55-49 victory at home.  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

Clarkson’s Jovanna Snead (15) tries to recover possession while SUNY Cortland’s Megan Maycumber (20) and Ally Boirdi (22) dive on a loose ball. The Clarkson women’s basketball team fell behind early, down 31-13 at intermission in a Thursday matinee. Despite an even second half, Clarkson fell to the Dragons 70-50.  (Taylor Caswell photo)  Game Gallery

February 11: If margin of victory is any kind of indication, the Clarkson University Women’s Basketball team’s seniors certainly made their last home game a memorable one as the Golden Knights had their third-largest margin of victory in the program’s history with a 96-25 Liberty League victory over Bard College Saturday afternoon. The Golden Knights improved to 8-14 overall on the season and moved to 3-11 in the Liberty League, while Bard fell to 1-21 and 0-3. Clarkson closes out the regular season next weekend when it visits Union College and Rensselaer. The Knights had a somewhat slow start, but quickly found their range by forcing turnovers for points in transition and also on solid cuts to the basket in the half-court offense. Following a lay up from Bard’s Liz Freud, Clarkson went on a 15-0 run, and enjoyed similar bursts throughout the half as Clarkson held a 44 point lead at intermission. All but one of the Knights scored in the first half, led by Carey Turner (Clifton Park, NY), who had eight points and six assists. Marissa Pelosi (Medfield, MA) and Chrissy Scanlon (Queensbury, NY) also each tossed in eight points, while Raeanne Clabeaux (New Woodstock, NY) was solid in all facets of the game with six points, five steals, four assists, and three rebounds.  Freud had four points to lead Bard, which committed 18 turnovers in the first half and shot just 3-for-19 from the floor. The second half was more of the same for the Knights, though Bard’s shooting percentage did improve and the Raptors also took better care of the ball. Clarkson finished the game 35-for-65 (53.8%) from the field and outrebounded Bard 51-25 while forcing the Raptors into 29 turnovers. The margin of victory for Clarkson was the third largest in their history, and was short of a 76-point margin in the 1986-87 season. Carey Turner had a near triple-double with 17 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists, and she also made six steals in the contest. Brooke Butkovsky (Monroe, CT) led all scorers with 19 points, shooting 7-for-10 from the field with six rebounds. Freshman Leighann Tomita (Cerritos, CA) added 12 points off the bench, while Pelosi finished with 11 points. Clabeaux had 10 points and also made seven steals. Liz Freud led Bard with 12 points.

February 10: Despite a late run from the Clarkson University Women’s Basketball team that had both coaches scrambling, Vassar College made key shots down the stretch and forced turnovers to give the Brewers a 67-55 victory over the Golden Knights Friday night at Alumni Gymnasium. The Golden Knights dropped to 7-14 overall and 2-11 in the Liberty League, while Vassar moved to 13-8 and 7-5. Clarkson will close out the home portion of the schedule on Saturday when it hosts Bard, while the Brewers will travel to play St. Lawrence. The Brewers came out firing in the first half, burying a 3-pointer from the top of the key on their first possession, and that shot set the pace of the first half. Vassar was able to make its 3-pointers as part of an all-around onslaught that had them shooting 68.2 percent (15-for-22) in the first half, while Clarkson was unable to keep pace, going just 7-for-29 (24.1%). However, the Knights were able to somewhat keep up with deliberate points from the free throw line, where they shot 11-for-13, while the Brewers apparently needed a hand in the face to make shots, going just 6-for-15 on freebies. Cydni Matsuoka led all scorers with 13 points, making four 3-pointers, while dishing out four assists. Brittany Parks shot 5-for-7 overall for 12 points and also grabbed five rebounds to go with her three assists. For Clarkson, Raeanne Clabeaux (New Woodstock, NY) had seven points and three steals, and Leighann Tomita (Cerritos, CA) scored six points, making all of her six free throw attempts. Vassar started the second half the same way it began the first by making a 3-pointer, and once again was able to keep Clarkson at a healthy distance with perimeter shooting. The Brewers led by at least 13 points for the first 15 minutes of the half, and were up 60-42 going into the final stretch. However, the Knights started making some outside shots of their own, including a 3-pointer from Carey Turner (Clifton Park, NY) at 4:22 to pull to within 10. On the next possession another runner from Turner had Clarkson within single digits for the first time since the opening five minutes. Vassar stopped the Clarkson run by forcing four turnovers down the stretch and pushed the final margin to 12 points. Clabeaux and Marissa Pelosi (Medfield, MA) each had 12 points to lead Clarkson, and both also had four steals. For Vassar, Matsuoka shot 8-for-13 from the field with five 3-pointers for a game-high 24 points to lead four Brewers in double figures.

SUNY Canton’s Corrine Riegel attempts a pass around Wells College’s Rachel Mattraw (32). Wells worked the ball down low to Brittany White who was fouled with :04 left and nailed both free throws for a 66-65 win over the Roos.  Game Gallery

SUNY Canton’s Brittany Crump (25) puts a shot up and into the hoop over Wells College’s Allison Pine (34).  (Eric Foote photo)

February 16: Despite a strong second-half the SUNY Canton women’s basketball lost at SUNY Cobleskill 60-53 Thursday night. The Roos fell behind by 12 points at halftime trailing 30-18 but outscored the Tigers 35-30 in the second half shooting 41 percent from the floor. Three SUNY Canton players reached double figures in scoring led by juniors Kaitlin Myers (Dannemora, N.Y.) and Jackie Sedlacek (Endicott, N.Y.) who each tossed in 15 points apiece.  Myers shot 6-for-9 from the field and knocked down three 3-pointers and she also had eight rebounds, two assists and two steals.  Sedlacek was 6-for-10 from the floor and added four rebounds, three assists and three steals. Freshman Tricia Boland (Hammond, N.Y.) totaled 10 points and four assists for the Roos and junior Brittany Crump (North Lawrence, N.Y.) added eight points. The Tigers were led by Chelcy Moore who had a tremendous night with 25 points and 16 rebounds.  Kady Porterfield also had a double-double with 11 points and 12 boards. The Roos wrap up their season this Sunday, Feb. 19 hosting Vermont Technical College at 1 p.m.

February 9: The SUNY Canton women’s basketball team lost at Morrisville State College 70-51 Thursday night. Freshmen Tricia Boland (Hammond, N.Y.) and Karina Stanford (Bronx, N.Y.) each scored 11 points for the Roos who were playing their seventh straight road game. Boland knocked down three 3-pointers and dished out four assists and Stanford was a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and grabbed a season-high nine rebounds. Junior Jackie Sedlacek (Endicott, N.Y.) had eight points and six boards and freshman Corrine Riegel (Bainbridge, N.Y.) added six points, seven rebounds and three assists for the Roos. The Mustangs were led by Nijee Scott who had 13 points and eight rebounds and Dyshea Smiley added 12 points and three steals. The Roos return home against the College of St. Joseph (Vt.) on Sunday, Feb. 12 with tipoff at 1 p.m.

January 28: The SUNY Canton women’s basketball team lost at the University of Maine at Augusta 54-49 Saturday afternoon in Portland, Maine. Junior forward Kaitlin Myers (Dannemora, N.Y.) knocked down three 3-pointers and finished with a team-high 21 points. Junior forward Jackie Sedlacek (Endicott, N.Y.) and freshmen guards Corrine Riegel (Bainbridge, N.Y.) and Tricia Boland (Hammond, N.Y.) each contributed six points apiece for the Roos (4-13).

Members of Kevin Fee’s family send up the ceremonial tip to start the game between SUNY Canton and SUNY Potsdam, during the Kevin Fee Memorial Tournament at Canton.  After leading 24-20 at the half, Potsdam's shooting improved and full-court press stymied the Roos to defeat SUNY Canton 56-35 in the second-round game. (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery
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SUNY Canton’s Elissa St. Germain (23) of Ogdensburg, NY dribbles baseline past Keuka’s Brittany Hadley (12).  St. Germain contributed five points, but the Lady Kangaroos were beaten 79-39 by Keuka.  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

SUNY Canton’s Cortney Whalen (32) of Hammond, NY gets a shot off over the attempted block of a Keuka defender.

February 10: The Plattsburgh State women’s basketball team had a goal at the start of the season, make playoffs. With a 64-56 win at SUNY Potsdam Friday, they achieved that goal.   With four regular season games left on the schedule, the Cardinals are now playing for seeding.   The Cardinals used a balanced offense to take down the Bears with three different scorers attaining double-digit points.   Plattsburgh entered the halftime break leading by six points and held that lead for the entire second half, although the Bears stayed within touching distance.   Kathleen Payne led the Cardinals with 14 points and seven rebounds on the night. Brittany Marshall backed Payne up with 11 points of her own on 4-of-16 shooting from the field and Catherine Cassidy came off the bench to score 10 points, five of them coming from the free-throw line. Dana Nucaro notched nine points and six rebounds, while Brooke Reifinger scored eight points.   Kaley Arsenault and Jessica Kouzan both hit 11 points for the hosts, but the Bears shot only 27 percent from the field for the game.   The Cardinals return to Memorial Hall on Tuesday February 14, when they host New Paltz in a “Play 4 Kay” game at 6 p.m.

February 4: A double-double from Dana Nucaro led the Plattsburgh State women’s basketball team (8-12, 5-9 SUNYAC) to an overtime victory over Fredonia State (9-10, 5-8 SUNYAC) in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action Saturday on Senior Day. The Blue Devils proved tough opposition as the Cardinals could not put them away in regulation, despite leading by as many as 12 points at different points of the game. Plattsburgh used a 14-2 run over a six minute period in the first half to take the lead and open up a ten point gap between the teams with 3:49 remaining. The Cardinals entered the break leading 39-31. Plattsburgh then started the second half quickly but soon slowed down as the Blue Devils mounted a comeback, tying the game with 7:55 left. Five lead changes followed and Beck Hebert nailed two free throw attempts with 12 seconds remaining to send the game into an extra period. Overtime was more of the same as the Cardinals raced out to a nine point lead, only for the Blue Devils to peg them back and come within one point with 27 seconds left in the overtime. Kathleen Payne hit a free throw shot with 15 seconds left on the clock to finish the Blue Devils off. Nucaro tied career-highs in both points and rebounds with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Payne scored 21 points and accounted for three blocks, while Brittany Marshall scored 17 points for the second-straight game. Kerri Salisbury, who was honored before the game as the Cardinals lone senior on Senior Day, notched 13 points. Becky Hebert scored a game-high 23 points to lead the Blue Devils and Jaimie Warren added 18 points. Calbi Nicole and Liz Wierbinski also scored 15 and 10 points respectively. The Cardinals head to Potsdam next Friday for another pivotal SUNYAC tilt at 6 p.m.

North Country women's scores are posted in next column.  To date, no details have been provided for the games.