MBB: State University of New York Athletic Conference

[jdex]

Potsdam drops its first when homestanding Alfred seizes 72-66 verdict. Alfs lead 34-30 at half and finish 24x29ft and outboard Bears 37-29. E. Barton 17 pts (6x15fg), 6 assts, 5 stls in 38'; D. Taft 12 pts (4x5fg), D. Bisesi 10 pts (3x11fg, 0x5 3s). Four Saxons in double figures led by T. Dersham 16

Geneseo beaten 75-61 at home by Fisher. Gens up 38-37 at half when both sides shoot 16x27 from field. Hosts cool to 7x18 in final period. Fisher finishes 28x49fg and scores first 10 points of second half. G. Spears 18 pts (14 1st half), S. McDonnell 15 pts

[cantbestopped]

A little prediction Buff State wins their tourney by 35 tomorrow, medaille sucks and hilbert was sadly the 2nd best team in that tourney, dyouville just stinks and thats why medaille is playing buff state for the tourney ship, but it wont be close

[gobombers15]

I get home from doing some Xmas shopping, turn on the Ithaca/Potsdam game and hear "...makes the 2nd foul shot and the lead is now 81-47." I immediately think Potsdam is destroying Ithaca. Then, the color guy says, "Very impressive performance by the Bombers today." I almost dropped my laptop. What in god's name happened? Did Barton and the rest of the starters get benched or something. Wow, that's crazy.

[unbearable]

Wow.  Tough road trip for the Bears.  Love to hear some analysis from anyone who was there.

I figured a young team might struggle in their first trip outside of town, but I wasn't expecting this.

Perhaps Wilkes and Plattsburgh are overrated?

Congrats to Ithaca and Alfred.

[ILOVEBALL]

how is it that you say plattsburgh could be overrated because potsdam gets smacked. is it because plattsburgh lost to them early in the season potsdam played good and plattsburgh didnt. and you guys talk about barton like he is amazing or something he is a descent player nothin spectacular when they are not hitting threes they wont win that many conference games we will see where the teams stand about 16 games into the season potsdam is overrated thats the problem!!!!!!!

[gobombers15]

Wow, I hate to call people on grammar or spelling on these boards but, ILOVEBALL, easy with the run-on sentences. If I were reading your post aloud, I would have run out of breath about four times.

Unbearable, the box score is not up yet but the release says Ithaca hit a school record 15 treys. I'm sure that had something to do with the margin of victory but the radio guys were making it sound like Potsdam couldn't throw it in the ocean from the dock. Like you said, young teams will have those games on the road and Ithaca is a tough team at home...not so much when they're on the road, though.

[jdex]

Ithaca 90, Potsdam 52 (B. Joe 23 pts with 7 3s; IC school record 15 treys). In today's game, light-it-up from outside and you have a chance. Bellis is known 3pt sharpshooter -- and it's Joe who's a bit out of the ordinary on this day.

New Paltz 75, John Jay 60

SUNYIT tumbles 80-72 to Utica College whose Pioneers 27x53fg (11x16 3s). UC 38-29 at the break. For Tech C. Laboard 16 pts (10x14ft), 5 reb; C. Bien-Amie 14 pts (5x8fg, 3x5 3s) 4 assts; A. Gilkes 12 pts, 15 reb; C. Reaves 11 pts (4x11fg). UC's D. Herring 21 pts. leads double figure quartet. Winners with 24 assts

[Caz Bombers]

The good news for Potsdam and its fans is they don't play again until January, by which point today's beating should be out of their heads completely.  I'll bet they put a hurting on Worcester State in that first game back.

Ithaca shot about 55% from three-point land today.  Not a whole heck of a lot Potsdam coulda done when the Bombers were that hot.

Sometimes you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you....pun may or may not be intended.

[thebear]

Wasn't at the game, but obvious props to the Bombers for a decisive win.

Looking at the box, several keys:

Threes IC 15x27, Potsdam 6x20.  

Obviously IC was getting open looks, and on their home court, they shot (pun intended) Lights Out.

Rebounding, IC 41 Potsdam 26.  Potsdam is starting a freshman at Center, and he will be tested.  Barton played 38 minutes against Alfred in a game that ended 18 hours before.  

Turnovers IC 10, Potsdam 16.  

Minutes by starters Potsdam 98, IC 128,

With the game out of hand early, Dobbs must have decided to see what his newcomers were made of.  For 10 of these players, it was the first road trip of their career other than a van across town for the first two games of the season.

Also, IC most certainly wanted to win one for the Gipper (Mullins), and remembered last season's painful loss at Potsdam, where IC blew an 18 point second half lead to lose in OT.

Seeing what #1 Duke did to #2 Texas, basketball is a funny game, you can beat a team by 30 or 40, and in the return game, it may go down to the wire.  

Again, lots of respect for IC in reversing their season opening donut.

[unbearable]

ILOVEBALL,

Let me explain what I meant. It is still early in the season, and people in every region are trying to figure out which teams are the strongest.  When a team is 5-0 and drops two on the road to teams that were 3-3 and 1-6, respectively, it makes any unbiased observer question how tough the previous competition was.  With so few games played to this point, there are always a few teams which are probably better than their record would indicate, especially if they've played tough out-of-region or DII teams, and a few undefeateds who might not be as strong as you might think.

Potsdam beat Wilkes, who, from what I can gather, was the preseason pick in the MAC Freedom League.  They also beat Clarkson twice, New Paltz, and Plattsburgh.

Clearly, anyone can beat anyone on a given night.  However, I think as the season progresses, we will all have the opportunity to see who the strongest teams are, and to evaluate the entire body of work, as it were.

I also really get a kick out of how you repeatedly dismiss the reigning SUNYAC tournament MVP as "average" or "nothing special".  Could it be that your frustration at never beating the Bears in your career is getting the best of you?

Hope your ankle gets better soon.

[jdex]

Plattsburgh 82, Green Mountain 39. Cards 5-2. A. Williams 11 pts paces balanced rout

Oneonta 61, Hartwick 55 in opening round of 'Wick tourney. S. Coffey 24 pts (5x12fg, 4x8 3s), M. Reardon 10 pts including trey at halftime buzzer for 28-25 lead. OState pulls away 45-37 but 'Wick pulls close before 53-44 pullaway at 2' mark. Dragons 20x46fg, 6x15 3s and challenge NY St. Joe's in Sunday final. Joe's over Fitchburg 84-69.

Fredonia loses 72-58 to PS Behrend, whose 6-7 soph center Kevin Buczynski goes for 41 pts. (14x21fg, 13x14ft), 10 rebs. PS-B 33-26 edge at half, then up 41-28. T. Anderson 15 pts (6x12fg), 4 assts, 2 stls; M. Kelly 13 pts (3x4 3s). Freds 18x42fg, outboarded 31-20. PS-B 5-1, Freds 3-6

Buffalo St. 97, Medaille 74 in BS tourney final. Bengals just 40-39 halftime control in sixth win in eight starts. Shoot 40x75fg led by mvp J. Williams 30 pts. (13x22fg), 8 rebs in 28'. All tourney G. Jones 17 pts, all tourney D. Mozelle 17 rebs, 12 pts. (6x10fg); J. Tirado 16 pts (7x11fg), 8 reb, 4 assts. Medaille's J. McNeil 30 pts. (12x26 fg). Medaille 12x36 3s

[ILOVEBALL]

could be that i am waiting to beat them, but barton is good but he is always talked about like he is so amazing. he s alright  but i dont see it like the way he is talked about but we will see how everything pans out in the end of the season. he just never worked out against plattsburgh so i have to see it first so we play them again maybe then i will ge to see something that impresses me

[bearseh]

Losing to Ithaca at Ben Light should surpise no one.  This team has a well earned rep for playing tough at home. Losing by 38? That's a surprise.

I saw it and here's my take. Prior to the 2 road losses this weekend, Potsdam was 5-0 and had played well against Wilkes (at Clarkson), and at home v. Plattsburg. Two wins v. Clarkson and win v. New Paltz don't mean much. Playing at Clarkson (Wilkes & Clarkson) is the next best thing to a home game for Potsdam and both the Knights and New Paltz are currently weak squads.

Even at 5-0, Potsdam weaknesses were suggested in their stats over those games:

1. Mediocre team defense, particularly compared to previous years
2. Mediocre team rebounding (had less than a +1 advantage)
3. Horrible team FT %

You all know what it takes to win on the road: team defense, rebounding, and you must get to the line and convert. That didn't happen at Alfred or Ithaca.

Ithaca took advantage of 1. and 2. above to the tune of 15 3's. Some were defended but many were off wide open looks. Bombers also totally uncovered the fundemental problems with the Bears: No experience on the front line, lack of a true point, and no vocal floor leadership at eiher end.

Ithaca's big forward had a great day: sets a pick down low, steps out beyond the arc, nobody goes with him, hits an open three, freshman defender goes to the bench.  The sub (not a frosh but a 1st yr player) doesn't box out, goes to the bench. Next sub is a frosh and neither defends or boxes out but there's no else to go to. When they tried giving help, Brian Joe filled it up. Bombers beat Bears down court for good looks or to defend; no easy baskets for Potsdam. You needed to see this unfold to fully appreciate S. Dobbs frustration.

Offensively, No one is fully in charge on the floor. Bisesi is certainly fun to watch and will be a force in SUNYAC before he's done. Now, I believe he's a much better 2 than 1 - but there is, currently, no one else.

The boards speak for themselves: Bears played small most of the day: Ithaca +15.

Potsdam continues to play 9 - 10 people 10+ minutes. May not be able to continue to this and win. They don't have the horsepower and really need to give their 1st year big men game minutes to develop. It won't be pretty until they learn to play - and play hard - at this level.

Finally, this group looked emotionally wasted on Saturday. One or two people on this team need to step up and take names offensively and defensively or it will be a long, long season for the Bears.

[jdex]

Oswego, last of SUNYAC unbeatens, goes down to RIT, 79-63,  in final of latter's tourney. Tight until late. Tech 35-29 at the half. Lakers lead 49-48 on 3pt N. Perioli at 11' before RIT 14-3 push. Oswego 25x69fg. M. Burridge 16 pts, 5 reb; A. Mims 14 pts, 8 reb; Perioli 9 pts (4x13fg), 6 assts in 40'. Oswego 7-1. RIT 4-1 and led by T. Bacon 21 pts, 15 reb; B. Zeinfeld 17 pts, F. Snyder 10 pts. Hosts Cortland Tues.

Oneonta tops LI St. Joe's 60-54 for Hartwick tourney crown. Overcomes 28-23 half deficit. R. Morin ft puts OState up 52-51 at 3', follows with hoop and S. Coffey clinches with four ft. Coffey event mvp with second straight 24 pt game. Adds 9 rebs. J. Murphy, Morin 8 pts each. Dragons 5-4, Joe's 3-3

[unbearable]

Bearseh,

Thanks for your insights.  Much appreciated.