POTSDAM, N.Y. – The SUNY Potsdam men’s basketball team put it together on both ends of the floor over the first 30 minutes of action Saturday and hung on late for a 77-73 victory over New Paltz in State University of New York Athletic Conference play at Welsh Gymnasium.

Sophomore Curtis Pierce (Brooklyn, N.Y.) posted a double-double with a game-high 17 points and 10 rebounds as Potsdam held the Hawks (3-3 overall, 0-2 SUNYAC) to 38.1 percent shooting in the first half and shot 54.8 percent over the first 20 minutes of play. The Bears held on in the second half to tally their first league victory of the 2010-11 season.

“We played well together on both ends of the floor,” Potsdam coach Sherry Dobbs said. “We made extra the extra pass offensively and played good help and recover defense as a team. The intensity and effort defensively was much better than it has been recently.”

The Bears (2-3, 1-1) ended the half on a 10-0 run and started the second with a 12-4 run, extending their lead to 51-32, the largest margin of the contest, with 14:30 to go. New Paltz fought back and cut the lead to nine after back-to-back 3-pointers by Lamard Herron just over half way through the second period.

The two teams traded baskets until the Hawks cut their deficit to 69-66 with 55 seconds remaining. However, the Bears held strong, sandwiching a defensive stop between free throws by sophomore guard Jordan McAllister (Cornwall, Ontario) and a lay-up by Pierce to take a seven-point advantage with 33 seconds on the clock.

Senior wing Anthony Williams (Long Island, N.Y.), who finished with 14 points and six rebounds off the bench, made 3-of-4 from the free throw line in the waning moments to help Potsdam ice the victory.

“We’ve talked all year about being consistent and on an even keel, but sometimes we play harder when we’re up,” Dobbs said. “I like the way we reacted when they made runs … we seemed to counter every time they made a run.”

Dobbs also commended the offensive and defensive performance of senior guard Ben Walker (New Smyrna Beach, Fla.), who posted five points, four assists and three steals.

The Bears return to action this Tuesday, Dec. 7, against local non-conference rival St. Lawrence. Tip-off at Welsh Gymnasium is set for 7 p.m.