The SUNY Potsdam men’s basketball team was unable to find its rhythm early in the game Saturday, suffering an 86-69 loss at Brockport in a State University of New York Athletic Conference match-up.

The Bears (6-14 overall, 5-8 SUNYAC) failed to convert from the field over the first nine minutes of the contest, falling behind 19-0 before sophomore Jordan McAllister’s lay-up with 11:13 left in the half put the team on the board. Potsdam committed 11 turnovers over the first nine minutes but missed several opportunities to counter the Golden Eagles’ run.

“We didn’t handle their pressure, had some turnovers and missed some good, open shots,” Potsdam coach Sherry Dobbs said. “Defensively, we weren’t very good early, but improved over the second part of the first half.”

Brockport (11-9, 9-4) shot 50.9 percent from the floor, including a 57.7 percent mark in the second half, and led 40-18 at halftime.

The Bears shot 61.3 percent in the second period but couldn’t overcome 29.4 percent shooting and 15 turnovers in the opening frame. Potsdam would get as close as 15 points in the second half.

“We settled down defensively in the second half and took better care of the ball, but we’re still not a very good defensive team,” Dobbs said. “Defensively, our communication and defensive rebounding need to improve, and we need to slow down dribble penetration.”

Sophomore Curtis Pierce (Brooklyn, N.Y.) totaled a team-best 18 points to go along with seven rebounds, while freshman Tony Efese (Spring Valley, N.Y.) continued his strong play with 13 points and six rebounds. Senior Anthony Williams (Long Island, N.Y.) added 10 points, seven rebounds and a team-high six assists.

Potsdam resumes conference play next Friday, Feb. 11, against Cortland at 8 p.m. for the second installation of Bear Pride Night at Maxcy Hall. All fans in attendance will be eligible to enter contests and win prizes during the game, which will also be televised on Time Warner Cable Sports, channel 9 in the Potsdam area.