WILLIAMSTOWN, MA.- The SUNY Potsdam men’s basketball team defeated Southern Vermont 80-66 in their final game in the Williams Tournament. The Bears (2-1) were led by junior Curtis Pierce who posted his second consecutive double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds and shot 9-11 from the field. Senior Brad Drysdale also posted a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds in the victory.

The trio of Pierce, Tony Efese and Drysdale carried the Bears to a 34-31 halftime lead. The three combined for 27 of the Bears first 34 points. Efese had nine points and eight rebounds and Drysdale grabbed seven boards while adding eight points. Pierce led Potsdam in scoring with 10 points on 4-6 shooting. Efese’s layup with 4:17 left in the half gave the Bears their biggest lead of the game at 32-21. Southern Vermont used a 10-2 run to end the half and stay within striking distance. The Mountaineers got 14 first half points from Taeshon Johnson and went 13-17 from the free throw line despite being dominated on the glass. Potsdam posted a 26-12 advantage and grabbed 14 offensive rebounds.

The Bears came out on fire in the second half and outscored Southern Vermont 46-35. The Bears shot 60 percent from the field in the half and Pierce didn’t miss on any of his five attempts. After seeing their lead shrink to 66-60 with 5:32 left, Potsdam closed the half on a 20-6 run to pull away.

Johnson scored 30 of the Mountaineers (1-2) 66 points on the evening and went 12-22 from the field. Southern Vermont was held to 38 percent shooting for the day.

The Bears ended the game with a 49-20 advantage in rebounding and shot 49 percent from the floor.

“We played a lot better on both ends of the floor than we did yesterday,” said Bears Head Coach Sherry Dobbs. “We took care of the ball down the stretch and finished the game well. We also were able to knock down our free throws and extend the lead.”

The Bears return to action after the holiday break. Potsdam travels to cross-town rival, Clarkson, for an 8 p.m. tip off on Tuesday, Nov. 29.