By Pete Holehan

Assistant SID-SUNY Potsdam

Facing an undefeated team, it typically leaves smaller room for error for their opponents. 

The SUNY Potsdam women's basketball traveled down to Daytona Beach, Florida, to take part in the Daytona Beach Shootout and hung tough with unbeaten Williams College, of the New England Small College Athletic Conference, before coming out slow to begin the second half and would up losing 65-42 on Friday evening. 

The trip marks a two-game tournament schedule for the Bears (3-5), who will play again Saturday at 2 p.m. against William Smith at the Ocean Center.

A 23-2 run to open the second half by the Ephs (10-0) proved to be too much for Potsdam to withstand though after the Bears trailed by just five points at halftime. 

Junior guard Ellen Cook (Eugene, Ore./ South Eugene) was a big culprit, scoring a game-high 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting including 3-of-4 from downtown.  Cook, a tall guard at 5-foot-11, also came up with five rebounds, three steals and a block.  The taller frontcourt of Kellie McDonald (6-foot) and Katie Litman (6-foot-1) each scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, as well for Williams College.

 Senior forward Jessica Kouzan (Webster, N.Y . / Webster-Schroeder) paced the Bears with 12 points while junior guard Carli Reynolds (Indian Lake, N.Y . / Indian Lake) tied a season-high with 11 points. Reynolds had previously scored 11 against SUNY Cortland on Dec. 6. 

Freshman forward Patti Dorgler (Floral Park, N.Y. / Archbishop Malloy) recorded a career-high four steals and also tied a season-high with five rebounds in 24 minutes of action. 

The Bears led by as many as four on a Chenice Russell 3-pointer that gave Potsdam a 15-11 advantage with 12:03 to play in the first half.   A Kouzan 3-pointer made it 20-18 Potsdam with 6:43 left, but it would not hold a lead again. 

Potsdam went cold shooting in the second half by making just 6-of-27 shots including just 1-of-11 from 3-point range and were outrebounded in the game 47-33 by a larger Williams College team that featured six players at least 6-feet tall.