CU Men's Basketball Preview - vs. St. Lawrence (2/15)

Only two games remain on the schedule for the Clarkson University Men's Basketball team, and the Golden Knights will need to finish strong if they hope to reach the Liberty League Tournament.

The Golden Knights will close out the home portion of the schedule on Wednesday when they host St. Lawrence University. The first time around the two teams battled through two overtime periods before the Saints finally came out with a 111-105 win, the first time in the long history of the match up where both teams reached triple digits. A big part of the scoring came without time elapsing, as the two teams combined for 96 free throws thanks to 64 fouls and a trio of technicals.

Clarkson enters the game with a record of 12-11 overall and 7-7 in the Liberty League after suffering a loss on a buzzer beater against Vassar on Saturday. Derek Hart continues to post one of the top single season performances in Clarkson history, as he leads the conference in scoring (21.7 ppg) and field goal percentage (64.3%). The senior forward has been even better during conference games, averaging 23.6 ppg, and one of his top games of the year came against St. Lawrence when he scored 35 points on 14-for-20 shooting. Hart ranks fifth in the country in field goals made (200), ninth in field goal percentage and 18th in total points (500). Classmates Drew Zlogar and Michael Hayduk have also produced well in their final collegiate seasons. Zlogar is averaging 15.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game and Hayduk is among the top three-point shooting threats in the league with 54 makes from beyond the arc. Sophomore Liam Ellis has boosted his numbers of late, averaging 8.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game for the season. Over his last five games, he is scoring 14 points per game.

St. Lawrence (19-4 overall, 12-2 Liberty League) is tied for first in the conference thanks to an impressive offense. The Saints lead the conference in scoring average (84.3 ppg), and field goal percentage (47.8%), while ranking second in free throw percentage (75.5%). Riley Naclerio ranks in the top five in the league in scoring (18.3 ppg, fifth), rebounding (7.9 rpg, third), and field goal percentage (51.9%, third). Kyle Edwards is 10th in the league in scoring (15.7 ppg) with a solid field goal percentage of 48.1% and 47 3-pointers. Willie Zachery had a huge day against the Knights in the first meeting with 31 points (17-for-20 free throw shooting) and five assists, and he is third in the league in both assists (4.1 apg) and free throw shooting (85.4%) to go along with 12.7 points per game. Ben Crawford (11.2 ppg, 59.1% shooting) and Kyle Kobis (9.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg, and 3.0 apg) have also produced solid numbers as starters for St. Lawrence.

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Players Mentioned

#3 Liam Ellis: G; 5' 11"; Sophomore

#42 Derek Hart: F; 6' 7"; Senior

#32 Michael Hayduk: F; 6' 4"; Senior

#21 Drew Zlogar: F; 6' 6"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#3 Liam Ellis
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: G

#42 Derek Hart
: 6' 7"; Senior
: F

#32 Michael Hayduk
: 6' 4"; Senior
: F

#21 Drew Zlogar
: 6' 6"; Senior
: F