POTSDAM, N.Y. -- The SUNY Oneonta women's basketball team dropped their SUNYAC contest on the road to SUNY Potsdam, 63-51, Friday evening. Senior
Molly Stephens (LaGrange, NY/Arlington) shot 7-for-16 from the floor for the team-high 16 points and six rebounds. The Red Dragons sit at 10-14 on the season, 8-9 in SUNYAC, and the Bears improved to 9-14 overall and 5-12 in the conference.
Potsdam held a slight lead throughout the first quarter until Oneonta tied it at the end. In the closing minutes of the first, junior
Sophia Wakin (Delhi, NY/Delaware Academy) hit a turnaround jumper underneath the basket, and after the Bears hit a three-pointer, Wakin again scored down low to make it 8-10 at 1:13. The Red Dragons knotted the game at 10 at the end of the first when Stephens stole a loose ball and found sophomore
Emma Schwarzbeck (Wallkill, NY/Wallkill Senior High School) down the court for the fastbreak.
Oneonta started the second with a 6-0 run to go ahead 16-10 at 7:08. Junior
Nadia Brown (Troy, NY/Troy) hit a pair at the line then stole the ball that led to a Stephens jumper, and junior
Amanda Zuntag (Staten Island, NY/Notre Dame Academy) drained a shot just inside the arc. Potsdam answered with a 13-2 stretch of their own to take a five-point lead with 13 seconds left in the half. Brown closed out the half with a putback to make it a three-point deficit, 23-20.
The Red Dragons got back to within one after Schwarzbeck crashed the boards for a putback to make it 30-31 at 5:39. Potsdam kept the advantage with a couple of three-pointers from Carley Hill and Xy'el Bradford. Bradford scored a layup at the end of the quarter to extend the Bears lead to 43-36.
Senior
Jenna Harclerode (Sayville, NY/Sayville) hit a deep two pointer to start the fourth quarter, however Potsdam then went on an 8-2 stretch to grow their lead to 11 with 6:46 left. Oneonta dwindled the deficit to four, 49-53, with 2:32 to play after Schwarzbeck drilled a deep three from the wing and Stephens made a pair of free throws. Jakia Howard closed out the game and scored the Bears final 10 points in a 10-2 run.
Zuntag finished with 10 points and four rebounds, Schwarzbeck added nine points and six boards.
Howard led the Bears with 21 points and six rebounds, and Bruno ended with 12 points and four assists.
Oneonta shot 35.7 percent and had a 37-33 rebounding advantage, while Potsdam shot 43.9 percent from the field.
The Red Dragons wrap up the regular season tomorrow at Plattsburgh State at 2 pm.
