Potsdam, NY - Thanks to a season-high 22 points from senior guard Brandon Linton (Queens, NY), the Clarkson University Men's Basketball team remained alive in the Liberty League post-season hunt, gaining a 68-53 victory over Union College Friday evening.

The Golden Knights improved to 14-10 overall and 7-6 in the Liberty League, while Union dropped to 12-11 and 8-5. With a win over Skidmore tomorrow, Clarkson will at the very least force a tie at the bottom of the playoff standings and look for the tie-breakers to take over.

In the first half, the Knighs buried eight 3-point field goals as the team raced out to leads of 20-3 and 25-5 in the first eight minutes of the contest. Though Union would reduce the Clarkson advantage to mid-teens on a couple of occasions, Clarkson still held a 17-point advantage (39-22) late in the half. However, a 6-0 run in the final moments pulled Union to within striking distance at 39-28.

Rey Jefferson (Budd Lake, NJ) was a flawless 4-for-4 from the 3-point line and led all scorers with 12 points in the just 10 minutes of action. Linton added 8 points and 4 assists, while Keith Murray (Queens, NY) produced 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. For Union, Joey Lokitis had 10 points in the opening half, with his final lay up pushing him past the 1,000-point threshold for his career.

The second half started with Clarkson cold, and the Dutchmen took advantage. Following a lay up from Lokitis at the 12:41 mark, Union trailed just 45-44. Though Clarkson would regain a modest advantage, Union wouldn't go away, as Rusmir Dzanko converted a 3-point play at the 8-minute mark to get the Dutchmen back to within three points, 51-48.

However, Clarkson went on a 13-2 run over the next four minutes, thanks to 3-point field goals from Linton (two) and Jefferson, pushing the advantage to 64-50. Union was unable to reach back for a last run as the Knights finished with a 15-point buffer.

Linton scored a game-high 22 points, shooting 8-for-15 overall and 5-for-9 from beyond the 3-point arc. He also added 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Jefferson contributed 17 points off the bench, and Murray added 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Lokitis finished with a team-high 17 points, but shot only 3-for-11 from long-range. Dzanko and Keven Donohue each scored 11 points.