'POTSDAM, N.Y. 1/5/02 –  The Keene State College women's basketball team won the SUNY-Potsdam Tournament with an 89-66 over the host school in New York on Sunday.

Freshman Mary Crawford (Mt. Holly Vt.) had 16 points to lead the Owls (7-4). Tournament MVP Hayley Alaimo (Ellington, CT) scored 13 points and Andrea Arsenault (Dover, N.H.), a member of the All-Tournament team, finished with 12 points.  Julie Tardif (Atkinson, N.H.) had a team-high eight rebounds to go along with her eight points.

Potsdam (1-7) scored the first six points of the game, but it was all KSC from there.  The Owls pulled away from the Bears late in the first half when they extended a 20-15 lead at the 6:55 mark to a comfortable 14 points (39-25) halftime cushion. Crawford scored 11 of her 16 points in the first half including three treys.

Using its full court press, KSC outscored Potsdam 22-4 to begin the second half taking a 61-29 lead at the 15:03 mark. "I thought we had a great game defensively," said KSC Coach Keith Boucher.  "We rotated very well and let them make mistakes against our press."  The Owls forced the Bears into 27 first half turnovers.

Kate Sullivan led Potsdam with 18 points.

Boucher will reward the Owls with a couple days off before they resume Little East Conference play with a game against Rhode Island College on Saturday. "This is the last chance we'll have to take a break for awhile," Boucher said.  "We have a lot of key conference games coming up."

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