Potsdam, NY – With ample alumni support in the crowd rooting him and the Clarkson University Men’s Basketball team on, sophomore Keith Murray (Queens, NY) made four free throws in the final seconds to clinch a 75-72 victory over Hobart in Liberty League action Saturday afternoon at Alumni Gymnasium.
The Golden Knights bettered their conference mark to 7-5 and moved to 9-14 overall, while Hobart dropped to 10-12 and 5-6. The Statesmen will play Hamilton on Tuesday in a crucial conference match up, while Clarkson will finish out the season at Rensselaer and Vassar next weekend.
Without the benefit of their usual inside presence, Elson Pickering, due to injury, the Golden Knights needed to adapt a different offensive style. Fortunately, Brian Salanger (Syracuse, NY) proved ready to take on the challenge, scoring 15 points in the first 10 minutes of the game, all coming on 3-point field goals. The final 3-pointer pushed Clarkson’s lead to 13 points (25-12), but Hobart chipped away with numerous free throws and some solid inside play. A 3-pointer from Tim Llewellyn in the final minute cut the margin down to three points, 37-34, at the half.
Salanger led all scorers with 15 points in the first half, making five of his 11 attempts, all from beyond the arc. Jonathan Hood (Cortlandt Manor, NY) added in six points off the bench. The Liberty League’s leading scorer, John Grazioli, led Hobart with 12 points, shooting 5-for-8 from the floor. Llewellyn also added in seven points and four assists.
The second half was a topsy-turvy affair in which both teams found themselves up by good margins, but it wasn’t until the final minutes when Clarkson seemed to find an extra gear as Murray buried a 3-pointer with just over three minutes remaining to give the Knights a five-point edge. Hobart went to its big man, John Grazioli, for support, and he led the Statesmen back to within one. However, Murray made four free throws in the last 21 seconds to lift Clarkson to the win.
Salanger and Murray each recorded career-highs with 20 points, while Brandon Linton (Queens, NY) added 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists. Hood produced 10 points and six rebounds.
Grazioli finished with 32 points, a season-high in the Liberty League, and added eight rebounds. Llewellyn finished with 12 points and five assists, and Robert Estep contributed 10 points.
