Harrison, a senior, made three free throws in the final 12 seconds to hold off a hard-charging Bears’ squad. After Harrison made two freebies with two seconds left, Potsdam sophomore Brandon Siskavich (Peru/Peru) caught a football-type pass at Clarkson’s end of the court, but missed a game-tying buzzer-beater.
Sophomore Damon Brown (Staten Island/Port Richmond) scored 14 points to lead the Bears’ attack. Senior Scott Mitchell (Brushton/North Country CC) added 12 points and four assists while fellow senior Jehrod Hall (Syracuse/North Country CC) grabbed 10 rebounds. Siskavich contributed 11 points.
Siskavich and Mitchell were Potsdam’s representatives on the All-Tournament Team. Siskavich finished with 33 points in two games while Mitchell scored 25. Harrison was joined on the All-Tourney team by his teammate, sophomore Elson Pickering (Brooklyn/Frederick Douglas Academy). Pickering had 12 points and eight rebounds during Saturday’s championship game.
Castleton State defeated Green Mountain College, 86-55, in the consolation game. The Spartans had five scorers in double-figures including junior Richard Reilly (Manassas, Va./Osbourn Park) who had a strong all-around day with 19 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and three steals.
Castleton senior Jeremy Jorgensen (Fairlee, Vt./Orford, N.H.), who made the All-Tourney Team, added 19 points and nine rebounds while Matt Tomaino (Utica/Whitesboro), also a senior, powered his way to 16 points and 18 rebounds.
For Green Mountain, freshman Terrell Nicholson (New Haven, Conn.) scored 12 points and freshman Aaron Brooks (New Haven, Conn.) had 10. Brooks was on the All-Tourney Team.
Potsdam will return to action on Tuesday at 7 p.m. It will travel downstate and take on New York University.