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Bears men's basketball comes up big late, defeats SLU 90-77 in season opener

Posted 11/14/18

POTSDAM, N.Y.--- The SUNY Potsdam men's basketball team (1-0) opened their season with a 90-77 win over St. Lawrence University (0-1) on Tuesday night. The Bears were firing on all cylinders shooting …

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Bears men's basketball comes up big late, defeats SLU 90-77 in season opener

Posted

POTSDAM, N.Y.--- The SUNY Potsdam men's basketball team (1-0) opened their season with a 90-77 win over St. Lawrence University (0-1) on Tuesday night. The Bears were firing on all cylinders shooting 51.7 percent from the field, and all five starters scored in double-digits. Senior guard Dante Langley (Schuylerville, N.Y./Schuylerville) finished with a game high 25 points and nine rebounds in the win.

The Bears got off to a hot start in the opening minutes of the season. Immediately after a 3-pointer by Langley, senior forward Serigne Kane (Brooklyn, N.Y./Brooklyn Prep) got a steal off a St. Lawrence inbound pass and slammed home a dunk in transition. On the Saints end, they were able to match the energy by the Bears with their composure and ball movement. A block by sophomore center Christopher Jeffrey (Norwich, N.Y./Norwich) followed by a 3- pointer by senior guard Dom DeRegis (Jamesville, N.Y./Jamesville-DeWitt) helped spark the 17-6 run by the visitors. Both teams created opportunities for themselves in the paint with their driving and transition baskets. The 14 points by senior guard Nosa Onabor (Brooklyn, N.Y./Northside Charter) and 56 percent shooting from behind-the-arc was key for Potsdam's 43-37 first half lead. The 17 points and six rebounds by grad guard Riley Naclerio (Cohoes, N.Y./Albany Academy) kept St. Lawrence afloat in the back and forth 20 minutes of play.

Potsdam carried on its aggressiveness in the painted area from the first half with five layups within the first four minutes. It allowed them to build lead to as much as 13 in the second half. The Saints countered their attack with a 3-pointer by freshman guard Luke Hicks (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenedehowa) followed by a steal and fast-break layup by guard Jordan Huntley (Washington, D.C./Kimball Union Acad.). Then, a layup by Hicks cut the lead to just four. Langley put a stop to the momentum by attacking the paint and dunking the ball at the 8:39 mark and then hitting his third 3-pointer of the night to push the lead back up to eight. The visitors would cut it down to six with 1:37 seconds left, but the Bears defense and missed free-throws down the stretch halted the comeback effort for St. Lawrence, as the Bears closed out the 90-77 win.

Onabor left his mark on the game on both ends, scoring 16 points and finishing with four steals.

Hicks finished with 21 points and Naclerio had 18 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks for St. Lawrence.

The game was Potsdam's first victory over SLU since Dec. 4, 2012.

Next, the Bears are headed to Worcester, Mass. for a meeting with Worcester Polytechnic Institute on Friday at 5:30 p.m. in the first round of the Ted Coughlin Tournament.