JAMAICA, N.Y.—The SUNY Potsdam men's basketball team (6-2) defeated York College (3-6) 88-84 in overtime in the first round of the York Invitational on Friday night. Senior captain Danny Delsol-Lowry (Queens, N.Y./Queens High School of Teaching) scored a season-high 27 points for the Bears and freshman center Tyrese Baptiste (Brooklyn, N.Y./Eagle Academy II) recorded his sixth double-double of the season with 13 points and 17 rebounds.
 
Potsdam held leads of 4-0, 16-12 and 19-15, but couldn't pull away from the Cardinals in the first half. York put together a 16-3 late in the period to take a 28-19 lead with 3:22 left. However, the Bears countered with a 12-3 answer and the teams hit the locker room tied at 31. Junior forward Dante Viskovich (Massena, N.Y./Massena) scored five of the points and got Potsdam even with a three with 11 seconds remaining.
 
The teams were never separated by more than five points in the second half. Two Baptiste layups put the Bears back up 38-35 at 17:18, but it was the continuation of a see-saw half. A Jay Brookhart four-point play put the Cardinals back up 43-41, but a Delsol-Lowry long range answer gave Potsdam its lead back with 13:05 on the clock. Junior Nana Annorh (LeFrak City, N.Y./Newtown) hit a 3-pointer a minute later to give Potsdam it's biggest advantage of the half at 47-43. A York 5-0 run, including a Brookhart three-point play gave the Cardinals a 71-66 lead at 3:05. The Bears defense clamped down the rest of regulation and five Potsdam free throws, including four from Delsol-Lowry, knotted the score and sent the game to overtime.
 
Freshman forward Ahamadou Sillah (Bronx, N.Y./Kipp NYC College Prep) put the Bears up 73-71 with a layup at 4:56 and the Bears never trailed. The Cardinals managed to tie the game at 73 and 79 all, but couldn't break through. Two free throws from sophomore guard Isaiah Joseph (Harlem, N.Y./Izquierdo Health & Science Charter) gave Potsdam its biggest lead of the game at 87-82 and the Bears closed out the 88-84 win. Nine of Potsdam's 17 overtime points came from the charity stripe.
 
Junior guard Colby Simpson (Queens, N.Y./Queens High School of Teaching), Joseph and Annorh each finished with 11 points for Potsdam. Joseph had eight boards and Annorh had six. The Bears controlled the glass, outrebounding York 60-49.
 
Devine Chisholm led York with 25 points and Brookhard scored 20. Mambe Koureissi posted a double-double with 10 points and 16 rebounds.
 
Potsdam will play the winner of the Purchase - Gwynedd Mercy contest in tomorrow's title game at 3 p.m.