Potsdam Upsets Brockport In SUNYAC Men's Basketball Championship

UTICA, N.Y. - SUNYAC Tournament Most Valuable Player Edane Barton (Spring Valley, Colgate University) scored a game-high 22 points and added eight rebounds, five assists, four steals, and two blocks to lead Potsdam to an 84-76 upset victory over top-seeded Brockport Saturday in the SUNYAC Championships game at Utica's War Memorial. Potsdam head coach Sherry Dobbs, in just his first year as a collegiate head coach, earns the first title for the Bears since 1987 and an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Potsdam grabbed the early lead and never surrendered it in the first half thanks, in part, to Barton's 13 points. The Bears built their lead to eight points with 5:49 left in the half which turned out to be the biggest advantage for either team all day. Early in the second half, the Golden Eagles kept pace with the Bears and finally took their first lead at the 12:45 mark of the half 60-58. It would turn out to be their final lead of the game as Potsdam's Evril Clayton (Albany/Manhattan College) buried a three on the next possession and Barton connected from downtown to put the Bears up 64-60. Brockport battled back to tie the score at 71-71 with a Brandon Mills' (Rochester/Spencerport) basket with less than six minutes to play but Potsdam outscored the Golden Eagles 13-5 throughout the final five minutes to claim the title. Clayton ended up with 21 points and Christian Turner (Central Square/Central Square) finished with 19. Both players were named to the All-Tournament Team for their efforts. Brockport's Charlie Croff (Lockport/Lockport) had 16 points and 11 boards in a losing effort.

2004 SUNYAC Men's Basketball All-Tournament Team
Edane Barton (Potsdam) - MVP
Junior Clayton (Potsdam)
Christian Turner (Potsdam)
Charlie Croff (Brockport)
David Andrews (Brockport)
Curtis Smith (Plattsburgh)