Rochester, NY – Despite foul trouble and a cold stretch at the end of the second half that saw a 17-point lead evaporate, the Clarkson University Women's Basketball team found enough to outlast RIT in overtime, winning 79-73 on Saturday afternoon.

The Golden Knights improved to 9-2 overall and 2-0 in the Liberty League, starting off the conference season with two straight wins for the first time since the 1992-93 season. RIT fell to 6-7 overall and 0-4 in the league. The win was Clarkson's seventh straight, its longest winning streak since the 1990-91 season.

Both teams started the first half slow offensively, but RIT was the first to find a bit of an offensive groove, turning a one-point deficit into a six point lead with 5:13 to go (19-13) following a 3-pointer from Amanda Olsen. Clarkson wouldn't allow the Tigers to gain too much momentum, however, as the Knights rallied back to take the lead on a pair of free throws from Cara Manfredi (Glastonbury, CT) with less than two minutes to go. The score would end up tied at 25-25 at the break.

In the second half, the Knights were sparked by a Manfredi 3-pointer at the 16:46 mark and rattled off 14 straight points in just three minutes, and eventually pushed their advantage to as many as 17 points (53-36) midway through the half. Unfortunately for Clarkson, that offensive stretch was halted by the Tigers and the Knights scored only five points in the final nine-plus minutes of the second half. RIT methodically pulled back to within striking distance, eventually tying the game at 58-58 with 48 seconds to go. In fact, the Tigers had a chance to win the game on the final possession, but Brooke Butkovsky (Monroe, CT) blocked an attempted put back off a miss with one second remaining to send the game to overtime.

In the extra frame, both teams found their offensive groove, but it was Clarkson that would take advantage down the stretch. With the game tied 70-70 in the final minute, the Knights were sent to the free throw line and made a pair to take the lead. That would be a consistent refrain for Clarkson in the final 45 seconds, as the Knights buried nine shots in 10 attempts to finish off any chance of a Tigers comeback.

Manfredi scored a career-high 32 points, shooting 9-for-18 from the field overall with six 3-pointers and 8-for-9 from the free throw line. Stephanie Grobe (White River Junction, VT) also chipped in 11 points, six rebounds and three blocks.

For RIT, Merissa Maiorano led the Tigers with 15 points and seven rebounds and Sarah Wolcott tossed in 14, as both shot 6-for-10 from the floor. Ashlynn Palmitesso also scored 12 points for RIT.