Women's Basketball

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Women Win Sixth in a Row

2.6.10

POTSDAM, NY- Three Bears scored in double figures as the women's basketball team held off Fredonia 59-53 on Saturday afternoon at Jerry Welsh Gymnasium. It is the team's sixth win in a row and raises their record to 7-13 overall (6-7 in SUNYAC).

Cortney Poirier (Moira/Bruston-Moira) led Potsdam with 20 and six rebounds.  Brittany Whitton (Dekalb Jct/Herman-Dekalb) had a season high 19 points and Rachel Graf (Elbridge-Jordan Elbridge) had 13 points.

Katie Landy led the Blue Devils with 16 points.

The Bears led throughout most of the first half.  Their biggest lead was eight following a free throw from Graf that gave them a 30-22 lead going into halftime. Fredonia led in points in the paint 14-4 but Potsdam had the advantage in points off turnovers as they outscored the Blue Devils in that category 21-4. 

Fredonia made the opening basket of the second half but a three-pointer and two free throws from Poirier gave the Bears a 12 point lead at 18:26.  A 10-2 Blue Devil run covering just over three and a half minutes got them to within five at 9:36.  Fredonia would slowly chip at the lead and two free throws from Landy made it 52-49 Potsdam with just over four minutes to play.  Fredonia would trail by only four with 1:12 left but free throws from Whitton, Graf, and Vivien Greiser would put them up by seven with 16 seconds left in the game and seal the Bear victory.

The Bears head on the road next Friday as they take on Cortland at 6 pm.

Streaking Bears Defeat Bengals

2.5.10

POTSDAM, NY- Three Bears scored in double figures as the women's basketball won its fifth game in a row in defeating visiting Buffalo State 79-73 on Friday night at Jerry Welsh Gymnasium. With the win, the Bears are now 6-13.

Cortney Poirier (Moira/Bruston-Moira) led the Bears with 20 points on 9-for-13 shooting.  Rachel Graf (Elbridge/Jordan-Elbridge) had 17 points, seven rebounds, four steals, and four rebounds and Brittany Whitton (Dekalb Jct/Herman-Dekalb) had 15 points, four rebounds, and three steals.

Staci McElory led the Bengals with 24 points.

The Bears led throughout the first half and got off to a quick 17-5 lead to start the game.  A 12-2 Buffalo State run would get them to within two points of the lead, 19-17, with 11:17 to play in the half.  A three from Whitton and a jumper from Poirier put the Bears up by seven at 10:45.  It was still a seven point lead with 4:38 to go and Potsdam pushed it to 10 following a three-pointer from Graf with 13 seconds left which gave the Bears a 42-32 halftime lead.

Poirier's layup to start the second half would increase the Bear lead to 12 but a 8-0 Bengal run got them to within four.  The Bears would keep the pressure on and went back up by 12 at 13:15. It would be a 76-60 Bears lead with 1:37 left in the game but Buffalo State made back-to-back three pointers too get within 10 points with 37 seconds left but it was too late as Potsdam held on at the end.

The Bears host Fredonia tomorrow afternoon at 2 pm.

Poirier Named SUNYAC Player of the Week

2.1.10

POTSDAM, NY- Cortney Poirier (Moira/Brushton-Moira) was named the SUNYAC Women's Basketball Player of the Week for efforts in last week's games.

Poirier was huge for the Bears as she twice led the team in scoring. She averaged 25.7 points, 9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3.3 steals in three games.  She had double-doubles in back-to-back games including a career high 37 points in a 66-60 win over New Paltz on Friday night. Poirier also passed the 1500 point mark for her career and is the Bears all-time leading scorer.

Hot Bears Defeat Oneonta

1.30.10

POTSDAM, NY- Three Bears scored in double figures as the women's basketball team continued its winning ways of late as they defeated visiting Oneonta 64-59 on Saturday afternoon. It is the team's four straight victory and raises their record to 5-13 (4-7 in SUNYAC).

Rachel Graf (Elbridge/Jordan-Elbridge) led the Bears with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting and was 4-for-5 from beyond the three-point arc.  Cortney Poirier (Moira/Bruston-Moira) had 15 points, six rebounds, and four steals, and Aimee Kellicutt (Lisle/Broome CC) had 15 points and four rebounds.

Rebecca Bucci led the Red Dragons with 15 points.

Oneonta had the lead for most of the first half. A 13-0 Potsdam run covering a four minute span gave the Bears a 26-18 lead with 5:13 to play.  The Red Dragons would close the gap but Potsdam still had a 33-27 going into halftime.  The Bears had the advantage in the paint as they outscored the Red Dragons 12-6.

The Bears would have a nine point advantage over Oneonta with 4:03 remaining in the game and seemed to be pulling away. The Red Dragons would not go away as they went on a 10-2 run and only trailed by one with two minutes remaining.  Potsdam would squash any hopes for a comeback as jumpers by Kellicutt and Graf gave the Bears a 64-59 lead with 23 seconds remaining and the Red Dragons missed two three-point attempts in the final seconds.

Potsdam hosts Buffalo State next Friday at 6 pm on Bear Pride Night.

Poirier's Career Night Leads Women over Hawks

1.29.10

POTSDAM, NY- Cortney Poirier (Moira/Bruston-Moira) continued her hot play of late as she scored a career high 37 points and the SUNY Potsdam women's basketball team knocked off visiting New Paltz 66-60 on Friday night at Jerry Welsh Gymnasium.  With the win, the Bears improve their record to 4-13 (3-7 in SUNYAC).

Poirier also had 10 rebounds for her second straight double-double performance.  Aimee Kellicutt (Lisle/Broome CC) added 16 points and six rebounds and Rachel Graf (Elbridge/Jordan Elbridge) had 11 points for the Bears.

Carly Minehan had 16 points for New Paltz.

Poirier scored 16 first half points to give Potsdam the lead.  Their biggest lead was 10 at 7:01.  The Hawks would go on a 7-0 run to trail by three with 3:24 on the clock.  Following a jumper by Graf and a layup by Poirier, New Paltz scored a free throw and a three-pointer to again trail by only three at halftime 27-24.

A Minehan jumper to start the second half made it a one point game.  The Bears started to pull ahead but the Hawks came back and only trailed by five at 11:10.  A 16-5 Potsdam run would give them their biggest lead of the game, 57-41, with 6:58 remaining.  A 13-0 New Paltz run would get them back into the game and only trail by three with 5:10 left.  They would still trail by three with 2:51 remaining, but Kellicutt hit a jumper and two free throws to increase the Bear lead to seven at 1:42.  The Hawks would only add one more free throw in the final 1:06 as they missed two three-point attempts and the Bears came away with the victory.

The Bears host Oneonta tomorrow afternoon at 2 pm.

Poirier's Double-Double Leads Bears Over Plattsburgh

1.26.10

POTSDAM, NY- Cortney Poirier (Moira/Brushton-Moira) scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the women's basketball team knocked off visiting Plattsburgh 80-73 on Tuesday night at Jerry Welsh Gymnasium.

Other Bears scoring in double figures included Rachel Graf (Elbridge/Jordan-Elbridge) who had 14 points, Brittany Whitton (Dekalb Jct/Herman-Dekalb) with 13 points, and Aimee Kellicutt (Lisle/Broome CC) with 11 points. Poirier also had four assists and three steals.

Stephanie McCoy led Plattsburgh with 23 points.

There were a total of 13 lead changes in the first half.  The score was tight with neither team establishing any momentum.  Potsdam held a 36-32 lead at halftime.

Plattsburgh's only lead of the second half came at 11:01. From then on the Bears led for the rest of the game.  Potsdam pushed its lead to 71-59 with 4:28 left following a layup by Poirier.  The Cardinals would cut into that lead with back-to-back three pointers and make it 76-69 Potsdam with 50 seconds remaining.  The Bears would make four straight free throws to go up by 11 with 37 seconds left.  The Cardinals made two free throws and a layup with two seconds left to get back within seven points of the lead but the game would belong to Potsdam.

The Bears next host New Paltz this Friday night at 6 pm.

Bears Hold On to Defeat Brockport

1.23.10

BROCKPORT, NY- Three free throws in the final seconds proved to be enough as the women's basketball team defeated host Brockport 59-56 on Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Bears' record is now 2-13 overall (1-7 in SUNYAC) and they end their 12 game losing streak.

Cortney Poirier (Moira/Brushton-Moira) led the Bears with 24 points.  Rachel Graf (Elbridge/Jordan-Elbridge) had 14 points and four steals and Aimee Kellicutt (Lisle/Broome CC) had 10 points and nine rebounds. 

Lacey Grove led Brockport with 16 points.

Potsdam started behind in the first half but went ahead 13-12 at 11:11 on a Poirier layup. Brockport took back the lead but a 13-2 Bears run covering the last 4:39 of the half gave Potsdam a 32-22 lead going into halftime.

The Bears lead was brief as the Golden Eagles chipped away and eventually took a one point lead at 11:09 in the second half.  It was still a one point Brockport lead at 7:18 and both teams struggled to make shots.  Potsdam eventually tied and went ahead on Poirier's free throws with 3:04 to play.  Free throws would increase the Bear lead to four but two straight Brockport layups would tie the game at 56-56 with 35 seconds left.  Graf then sunk two free throws and following two missed Golden Eagle shots, a Brockport foul would put Kellicutt on the line and she made one of two free throws to put Potsdam up 59-56 with eight seconds left.  Brockport's chance to tie the game was thwarted by Sophie Parks (Bogart, GA/North Oconee) who stole the ball with one second left to preserve the Bears victory.

Potsdam returns home to host Plattsburgh this Tuesday night at 6 pm.

Women Lose Close One

1.09.10

BUFFALO, NY- For the second straight game, the SUNY Potsdam women's basketball team again fell by one point this time to the host Buffalo State Bengals 57-56 on Saturday afternoon.

Cortney Poirier (Moira/Bruston-Moira) led the Bears with 18 points, six steals, and four rebounds.  Brittany Whitton (Dekalb Jct./Herman-Dekalb) had 10 points and Rachel Graf (Elbridge/Jordan-Elbridge) had eight points, eight rebounds, and four assists.

Staci McElroy led the Bengals with 16 points.

There were three lead changes and the score was tied four times in the first half.  The score was tied 19-19 following a layup by Poirier but a 10-2 Buffalo State run put them up 27-21 at halftime.

The Bengals would maintain a lead throughout the second half and were up 44-34 with 8:52 left in the game.  The Bears would come back and mounted a 20-6 run to take the lead 56-52 with 2:24 left to play.  Potsdam had a 56-55 lead until the final seconds when McElroy's layup with 7.7 seconds left gave Buffalo State the lead.  Following a timeout, the Bears had one more shot to win the game but Whitton's jumper missed its mark.

Potsdam returns home to host Oswego next Friday night at 6 pm.

Bears Defeat Clarkson in Home Opener

11.17.09

POTSDAM, NY- The SUNY Potsdam women's basketball team led for most of the game and held on to beat cross-town rival Clarkson 56-52 on Tuesday night in the Bears home opener.

Two Bears scored in double figures led by Brittany Whitton (DeKalb Jct/Herman-DeKalb) who had 14 points, five rebounds, three steals, and three assists.  Cortney Poirier (Moira/Bruston-Moira) had 12 points, five rebounds, and four steals.

Michelle Reddinger led Clarkson with 16 points and six rebounds.

Clarkson's only lead of the game came at 19:21 in the first half on a free throw by Katie Goldberg.  A 13-2 Potsdam run midway through the half gave the Bears a 17-6 lead with 9:05 to play.  The Golden Knights would cut that lead to four as Potsdam led 29-25 at halftime.

Potsdam would push their lead back to eleven following a layup by Whitton at 10:25.  Clarkson would fight back as they made it 55-52 Potsdam following a jumper by Reddinger with 1:06 left in the game.  The Golden Knights, however, would commit two fouls with the second coming with .1 seconds left to put Sophie Parks (Bogart, GA/North Oconee) on the line. Parks sank one of two attempts to ice the Bears victory.

The Bears (1-1) head on the road next to take on Nazareth College this Saturday at 3 pm.

Women's Basketball 2009-10 Season Preview

11.13.09

Coach Tara Ruckh begins her fifth season at the helm of the SUNY Potsdam Women's Basketball program with a solid core of returning veterans and complemented by a talented group of newcomers.  The Bears lost three starters and a top reserve to graduation.

The Bears are coming off a 17-12 season where they advanced to the finals of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) tournament before dropping a hard-fought 57-51 decision to SUNY Brockport for the automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. The Bears were invited to participate in the ECAC Tournament where they fell to Ithaca 69-64. Other season highlights included a sweep of North Country rivals St. Lawrence & Clarkson, and conference tournament road wins vs. SUNY New Paltz and SUNY Cortland, a nationally ranked team that advanced to the NCAA Second Round.

Ruckh has a solid complement of returning players including the two leading scorers from last year's team in seniors Cortney Poirier (Moira, NY/Brushton-Moira) and Rachel Graf (Elbridge, NY/Jordan-Elbridge).  Poirier is on track to become the all-time leading scorer in Potsdam women's basketball history.  She begins the season with 1,294 points, a career average of nearly 16 ppg, having started every game in each of the past three seasons.  She was also among the national leaders in steals last season with 107 thefts.  Ruckh expects Poirier to be one of the top Division III players in the conference, and to continue her outstanding play which saw her named to the First Team All-SUNYAC and Second Team All-ECAC Upstate squads last season.  Poirier generates much of her offense with her aggressive ball-hawking defense and is outstanding in the transition game taking the ball to the basket and at the free-throw line.

Graf is the Bears' defensive ace.  Coach Ruckh constantly gives her the toughest defensive assignment, and will also be looking to her for more leadership this season.  Graf is an excellent passer and unselfish player and her court vision makes her a dangerous player from anywhere on the court.  Graf is on pace to reach the 1,000 point plateau this season based on her past performances which have seen her average 10 ppg in each of the last two seasons.  Graf has also led the team in field goal percentage in each of her three seasons at Potsdam while being named to both the Commissioner's List and All-Academic team as a top student in Potsdam's outstanding creative writing program.

Junior Brittany Whitton (DeKalb Jct./Hermon-DeKalb) returns having backed up the departed Hannah Fairchild at the point last season.  Whitton, an All-State selection in high school, is a tough athletic player with an excellent outside shot and the ability to drive and dish.  She will see time at both guard positions.

Returning sophomores Kaley Arsenault (Syracuse, NY/Westhill HS) and Stephanie Marcotte (Willsboro, NY/Willsboro HS) will be counted on to step up and take their places in the regular rotation after a year of seasoning with the senior-laden 08-09 team.  Arsenault is a strong physical post player with a soft touch who will give Potsdam the size they need in the paint, while Marcotte is a very intelligent player who has vastly improved her game in the last year and has excellent range from the perimeter.

Junior Aimee Kellicutt (Lisle, NY/Whitney Point HS/Broome CC) joins the Potsdam program from Broome CC where she was an All-NJCAA Region III selection and MVP of her conference tournament.  Kellicutt can play both point and shooting guard and forces defenses to be concerned with her ability to shoot from the outside and take the ball to the basket.  Kellicutt is an excellent floor general and ball handler, with solid defensive skills in the pressing style the Bears like to employ.

Sophomores Sophie Parks (Bogart, GA/North Oconee HS) and Jessica Mehm (Schroon Lake/Schroon Lake HS) also join the Bears this season. Parks is a transfer from Georgia College and State University, who provides much needed size and skill in the paint, while Mehm, who also plays soccer for Potsdam, joins the team for the first time and will add valuable depth and athleticism in the backcourt.

Freshmen players include All-State and All-Northern selection Taylor Bacon (Massena, NY/Massena HS), who led Massena HS to the overall Section X title and the state tournament.  Bacon is expected to contribute immediately as a top reserve at the wing positions.  Ruckh describes Adedoyin "Dawn" Akingba (Brooklyn, NY/Midwood HS) as a "rebounding machine" and she will see immediate action at a forward spot, giving the Bears an athletic inside force at both ends of the court, while guard Vivien Greiser (Florida, NY/S.S. Seward), a Class D All-State selection, possesses excellent basketball skills and court vision and is already demonstrating leadership on the floor.  Section X product Lesley Turner (Gouverneur, NY/Gouverneur) will play a reserve role at the forward position and add to the overall inside presence of the team.

The Bears open their season this Sunday at Utica College with a 2 pm start.  Their home opener is Tuesday November 17th at 6 pm in Jerry Welsh Gymnasium against cross-town rival Clarkson University.  Potsdam plays a 25 game schedule, including 18 SUNYAC conference games, as well as non-conference tests against perennial Upstate NY powers St. Lawrence, Ithaca, and William Smith.

Poirier Named Both All-SUNYAC and All-ECAC

04.03.09

POTSDAM, NY - Cortney Poirier (Moira/Brushton-Moira), a junior guard at SUNY Potsdam, has been named to the 2008-09 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Upstate Women's Basketball Second Team.

The ECAC is the nation's largest athletic conference with 319 member institutions and over 122, 000 student athletes. The ECAC awards one Division II and four regional Division III all-star teams (New England, Upstate, Metro and South).

Poirier led the Bears in scoring last season with 487 points for a 17.8 game average. She was also the second highest scorer in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC). With 106 steals Poirier also topped the Potsdam steal stats and again placed second in the SUNYAC.

Previously  Poirier was named to the 2008-09 All-SUNYAC Women's Basketball First Team. Additionally, she was named the SUNYAC Player of the Week on February 16th after completing the best week of her college career when she averaged 24.3 points including a career high 35 points in the Bears win over Geneseo.

In Potsdam's January 13th victory over SUNY Canton, Poirier scored 23 points to top the 1,000-point career scoring mark. Her current three-year career tally stands at 1282 points.