Saratoga Springs, NY – Junior Braeden Burns recorded his third career 30-point game but the effort was not enough as the Clarkson University Men's Basketball team suffered a xx0xx defeat at the hands of Skidmore College in Liberty League action on Friday night.

The Golden Knights fell to 11-11 overall and 6-9 in conference games while Skidmore moved to 11-11 and 7-8 in league play. The game gave the Thoroughbreds the season sweep over the Knights in what could prove to be a key tie-breaker for one of the final playoff spots.

The Knights started off with a 3-pointer from Steve DeRegis on their opening possession and led by one a few moments later on a free throw from Braeden Burns, but those brief moments were the only times that Clarkson would lead in the first half. The two teams remained close for the first seven minutes off the contest, but back-to-back 3-pointers from Joey Skoric and Nick Padilla ignited a 10-0 run by the Thoroughbreds that stretched the margin to 11 points near the midway mark of the first half. A few minutes after that flurry the margin was still 11, but consecutive long-range makes from Burns and Bobby Piddock allowed Clarkson to draw within five. That would be as close as the Knights could get for the remainder of the half, eventually settling for a seven-point gap at the half.

Not much separated the two teams in the first half except for three extra free throws from the Thoroughbreds and two more makes from inside the arc on the same amount of attempts in the first 20 minutes. Burns was a force in the first half, scoring 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting, but the rest of his teammates combined for a 7-for-24 effort.

Clarkson struggled to start the second half, making just one of its first 11 shots from the floor. The team had issues from the perimeter and on the interior as Joey Skoric was causing issues around the rim with blocked shots and an overall presence in the paint. Skidmore extended its advantage to 15 points near the midway point of the second half (61-46), but Steve DeRegis picked up four straight free throws after technical fouls were called on Skidmore. A layup from Nate Abernethy trimmed the margin to nine briefly, only to see Skidmore quickly return the margin to 15, keyed by a 25-foot 3-pointer from Hakeem Daphnis with 5:24 to go. The Knights began to put considerable pressure on the Thoroughbreds' guards, creating turnovers on inbound plays and converting layups to get back into the contest. Three straight makes on the interior with Joey Skoric out of the game helped key Clarkson's comeback, as the Knights trimmed the deficit to eight at the final media timeout.

The margin was eventually whittled down to as few as five in the final minute and then came to within four off a stolen inbound pass and layup from DeRegis with less than 35 seconds to go. That would be as close as the Knights would get, as Skidmore made a pair of free throws and scooped up a loose ball at the other end for a turnover and two more free throws to all but end the contest.  

Burns finished with 30 points on 11-for-20 shooting, including four 3-ointers, and eight rebounds. It was his second 30-point game of the season and third of his career. Nate Abernethy chipped in 14 points and four blocked shots and Steve DeRegis also reached double figures with 11 points.

The difference maker in the game for Skidmore was Joey Skoric, who finished with 21 points on 9-for-9 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds and six blocked shots before he fouled out late in the contest. Nick Padilla also added 17 points and five assists and Aidan Roy scored 12 points thanks to an 8-for-10 effort from the free throw line while also finding teammates for seven assists.