Potsdam, N.Y. - Fallon Griffin poured in a game-high 16 points, all in the second half, but no other Golden Knight managed to top double-figures as the Clarkson University Women's Basketball team dropped a 65-53 decision to Vassar College, Saturday afternoon at Alumni Gymnasium. 

The Knights close out January at 8-11 overall, 4-8 in conference play and will travel to RIT and Ithaca next weekend for matchups with the Tigers and Bombers. Vassar draws level at 9-9 overall while improving to 8-3 in the Liberty League. 

Vassar quickly jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter, holding Clarkson scoreless until the 3:28 minute mark when Maddy Polky got the Knights on the board with a three. The Brewers would add just three points through the remainder of the first, all off free throws, while two more treys from Kate Campbell brought the Knights back to 13-9 after the opening 10 minutes. 

Bella Doyle cut the lead to two less than a minute into the second and answered two more Brewer free throws with a three of her own to make it 15-14 in favor of the visitors. Emma Chambers gave Clarkson its first lead of the afternoon with a driving layup but the Brewers would do just enough on both ends to go up six, with 2:31 remaining in the half. Polky produced a finish in the paint to bring the Knights back to within three just a minute later before a 6-0 finish to the quarter for Vassar sent them into halftime up 32-23. 

Polky and Griffin opened the second half with two layups to bring the Knights back to within five but a 5-0 response from the Brewers over the next two possessions re-established a 10-point cushion. That lead would grow to 11 midway through the third but would be cut back down to eight following a three and layup from Griffin. As the quarter entered the final two minutes, Griffin connected on another three to make it 43-40 Vassar, who then responded with a 7-0 run from Erin Lovett and Sierra McDermed to go up 50-40 with one quarter left to play. 

Griffin would find space again just ten seconds into the fourth quarter to make it a seven-point game until McDermed added the next three points of her own to push it back to 10. Vassar would continue to push the lead to double-digits on the next few possessions but timely buckets from Addie Kea and Griffin continued to keep the Knights within reach. The visitors would eventually manage to create the stops they needed on defense and capitalized on the other end, getting up by as much as 15 after a Sophia Ippolito three, with 3:45 remaining. Kea and Alexis Kress would tally the final points of the contest with less than a minute left on the clock for the 65-53 scoreline. 

Vassar finished with an edge in most statistical categories through the contest including points off turnovers (19-9), second chance points (9-4) and bench points (26-11). Clarkson would finish with marks of 37% (20-54) from the field and 39% (9-23) from three but a 43% (22-51) line from the Brewers as well as a 73% (19-26) mark from the free throw line provided the difference. 

Kea added nine points, seven rebounds and five assists on the afternoon while Doyle would finish with eight points and three steals. Campbell finished with two threes in 13 minutes off the bench. Erin Lovett led a balance Brewer scoring effort with 13 points as Eloidie Ware would add 11 and McDermed and Maureen Regan both tallied 10.