News Detail
Potsdam falls to North Country rival
12.07.10
POTSDAM, N.Y. – The SUNY Potsdam men’s basketball team allowed nearly 60 percent shooting and was unable to get anything going offensively Tuesday in a 70-48 setback against St. Lawrence in a non-conference affair at Welsh Gymnasium.
The Bears (2-4) struggled to contain the Saints’ five-out, spread attack, and couldn’t find a rhythm offensively, turning the ball over 18 times, which led to 25 St. Lawrence points.
St. Lawrence (3-4) shot over 50 percent from 3-point range and a robust 63 percent from the field in the second half, taking control of the game with a 19-8 run from the 6:41 mark of the first half to the 16:45 mark of the second.
“We allowed too much dribble penetration and didn’t compete the way I thought we would defensively,” Potsdam coach Sherry Dobbs said. “For us to be successful, we need to keep the ball out of the post area and take charges.”
Potsdam shot 41.7 percent from the field for the game, but was unable to find good looks in the half court against the 2-3 zone of the Saints.
Sophomore wing Curtis Pierce (Brooklyn, N.Y.) led the Bears with 17 points and nine rebounds, while four players finished with six points, including senior Anthony Williams (Long Island, N.Y.), who also registered four rebounds and five assists off the bench.
“They are long and big, so they had a good zone defense,” Dobbs said. “Eventually we got the ball to the middle of the floor and scored a little bit, but it was too late.”
Potsdam held advantages in second-chance points (11-3) and points in the paint (34-28), but shot just 3-of-13 from 3-point range and 5-for-12 from the free throw line.
The Bears return to action this weekend at the King’s College Ramada Inn Tournament in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Potsdam takes on King’s on Friday at 8 p.m., then plays Saturday at either 1 p.m. or 3 p.m., depending on Friday’s results.