Potsdam, NY – Double overtime was unkind to the Clarkson University Women’s Basketball team Saturday afternoon as Vassar College earned their first Liberty League victory of the season with an 82-77 win over the Golden Knights at Alumni Gymnasium.
The Golden Knights fell to 6-19 overall on the season, with a record of 1-13 in conference games. Vassar finished at 4-21 and 1-13.
The Knights started off the game with a 6-0 run, but the Brewers responded with a run of their own to come back and tie the contest. From that point on, neither team was able to make any kind of sustained offensive push. Both teams traded baskets back and forth for the half and their numbers nearly mirrored one another at the break. The Brewers and Knights each had 23 rebounds, 6 fouls, and 31 points at the half.
Sophomore Katie Goldberg (Stowe, VT) led the Knights with eight points at halftime, making a pair of 3-pointers in the process to become just fourth player ever at Clarkson to bury 50 3-pointers in a single season. Freshman Carey Turner (Clifton Park, NY) also added in six points for Clarkson. Brittany Parks and Jenica Law each had eight points to lead Vassar, and Law also grabbed five rebounds.
In the second half, Clarkson pushed its lead to nine points on a couple of occasions, but the Knights couldn’t put Vassar away. With a 3-pointer from Kristyn Tempora with 55 seconds to go, the Brewers pulled to within two points, 64-62. After a missed opportunity at the other end for the Knights, Vassar’s Jenica Law was able to make a runner in the lane with 6.1 seconds to go to tie the score up. Clarkson’s desperation 3-pointer came after the buzzer, sending the two teams to overtime.
The extra session started with the Knights getting the early jump on a basket by Lauren Pluchino (Liverpool, NY) in the first minute, but a 3-point play from Tempora tied the score up at 68-68 midway through the overtime. From that point, the teams continued to exchange free throws or makes and still found themselves knotted up at 72-72 with 22 seconds to go. After a timeout by the Knights, Clarkson turned the ball over and had a foul called, giving the Brewers a chance to take the lead from the line with six seconds to go. Sarah Warner missed both of her free throw attempts, and Morgan Carella (Roslyn Heights, NY) came up short on another last second 3-pointer to send the game to a second overtime.
Down by three in the second overtime, Vassar’s Carolyn Crampton converted a 3-point play on a made lay up and free throw, and from that point the Brewers went on an 8-0 run to make it a two-possession game. A pair of free throws by Lauren Pluchino with 21 seconds to go pulled the Knights back to within three, but the Brewers made their free throws in the final seconds to clinch the win.
Freshman Carey Turner finished with 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 steals to lead the Knights, while sophomore Sierra Noles (Averill Park, NY) compiled her first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds to go along with 5 assists.
Kristyn Tempora finished with 23 points and 6 rebounds, going 8-for-27 from the field. Brittany Parks added in 22 points and Emily Haeuser finished with a double-double at 14 points and 11 boards.
