SUNY Potdam

HEADLINES:

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

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 17^th 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.