Potsdam, NY – Guards Brian Salanger (Syracuse, NY) and Brandon Linton (Queens, NY) each scored a team-high 14 points as the Clarkson University Men’s Basketball team held off a spirited late run by Potsdam to win 64-56 Tuesday night at Alumni Gymnasium.
The Golden Knights improved to 5-1 and avenged their only loss of the season against the Bears. Potsdam lost its first game of the year and dropped to 3-1. Clarkson will host Elmira College on Saturday, but the game will be played at Potsdam State’s Maxcy Hall.
Unlike the first time the two teams met, the Golden Knights were able to get many open looks against the Bears, and they did not miss many of those chances early on. After leading 14-8 through the first six minutes, Clarkson cruised out to a 21-point advantage with a 17-2 run over the next six minutes, thanks in large part to three 3-point field goals, all coming from different shooters. Potsdam closed the half with an 11-6 run to put a dent into the Clarkson advantage, but the Knights still went into the locker room with a 14-point lead, 39-25.
The Knights shot 59.3% (16-for-27) from the floor while Potsdam struggled to hit just 33.3% (9-for-27) of their shots. Senior Brian Salanger scored nine points to lead all scorers while Brandon Linton and Ryan Smith (Niagara Falls, NY) each contributed eight points. For the Bears, freshman Tom Kelso scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds.
In the second half, the two teams jockeyed back and forth as neither team could either extend the lead or cut it with any sustained runs. Late in the game, however, Damon Brown nailed a pair of 3-point field goals to place the Bears within six points. With just over a minute to go, Clarkson squashed the run with some late free throws and Potsdam turned the ball over at a crucial moment to give the Knights the victory.
Salanger shot 5-for-7 from the floor for his 14 points and Linton made eight of nine free throws. Smith shot 6-for-9 from the field for 13 points. Elson Pickering (Brooklyn, NY) added 10 rebounds, three assists, and four steals.
Brown scored a game-high 20 points and added seven boards, while Kelso produced 14 points and seven rebounds, shooting 7-for-11 from the floor.
