Basketball Game Preview: Potsdam Sandstoners vs. Canton Golden Bears

Potsdam is 2-8 against Canton since December of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Potsdam Sandstoners will challenge the Canton Golden Bears at 5:45 p.m. Potsdam will be looking to extend their current 11-game winning streak.

Potsdam is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They pulled ahead with a 42-41 photo finish over Ogdensburg Free Academy. Given the Sandstoners' advantage in MaxPreps' New York basketball rankings (they are ranked 61st, while the Blue Devils are ranked 326th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Ian VanWagner

Points

02/20/25 vs Ogdensburg Free Academy	22
02/14/25 vs Canton	23
02/11/25 vs Gouverneur	17

Potsdam found their leader in sophomore Ian VanWagner, who en route to 22 points and eight boards. The match was VanWagner's third in a row with at least 17 points. Another player making a difference was Nick Roda, who posted seven points and eight rebounds.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Canton). They took their game on Thursday with ease, bagging a 68-28 victory over St. Lawrence Central. The high-flying offensive performance was a huge turnaround for the Golden Bears considering their 29-point performance the contest before.

Potsdam's win was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 18-2. As for Canton, their record now sits at 10-4.

Everything came up roses for Potsdam against Canton in their previous matchup last Friday, as the team secured a 62-29 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Potsdam since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.