POTSDAM, N.Y. – Curtis Pierce scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds as Potsdam defeated visiting Cortland, 63-60, for its first SUNYAC win of the season.

Olando Minott added 16 points, six assists and six rebounds and Benjamin Walker scored 11 points for Potsdam (2-10, 1-5 SUNYAC), which overcame a seven-point deficit over the final 14 minutes.

Senior Paul Oliver (Phoenix) led Cortland (7-6, 3-3 SUNYAC) with 11 points and freshman Jeremy Smith (Bronx/Riverdale Kingsbridge) scored 10 points. Freshman Freshman Harrison Hefele (Greenlawn/Friends Academy) tallied a career-high nine points and also registered three steals, four rebounds and two assists.

Cortland led 41-34 after an Oliver free throw with 14:19 left. Potsdam came back and eventually took a 52-48 lead on a Minott trey with 8:36 left.

Smith's three-pointer with 5:45 left broke a tie and gave Cortland its last lead at 58-55. That score held until Pierce made a layup with 1:46 remaining to cut the margin to one. Anthony Williams stole the ball on Cortland's next possession and Edward Cross hit a layup with 1:26 remaining to give the Bears a 59-58 lead.

Cortland missed two three-pointers on its next possession and Williams hit a layup with 30 seconds left to put Potsdam up by three. The Red Dragons answered with a quick bucket by Oliver with 15 seconds left to pull within one, but Mnott sank two foul shots with nine seconds remaining to push the lead back to three. A final Cortland three-point attempt to tie the game missed the mark.

Both teams shot at least 50 percent from the field in the contest. Potsdam finished at 52 percent (26-of-50), with Cortland at 50 percent (25-of-50).

Box Score/Play-by-Play