Potsdam, NY – A running lay up in the lane by freshman Raeanne Clabeaux (New Woodstock, NY) with less than a second to go proved to be the difference for the Clarkson University Women’s Basketball team as the Golden Knights outlasted Rensselaer 57-56 in Liberty League action Saturday afternoon.

The Golden Knights ended a six-game losing skid with the victory, improving to 6-8 overall and 1-5 in conference games, while RPI lost its second game on the weekend to fall to 9-7 overall and 3-4 in the Liberty League.

Unlike games past, Clarkson was able to get out of the gate quickly and it helped the team set a tempo for the remainder of the half. The Knights tossed in five points in the first minute, and except for a brief tie, led throughout the first 20 minutes. Clarkson also had a decided advantage in free throws thanks to RPI’s aggressive full-court pressure, which pushed the Knights into the one-and-one early enough to take advantage. That facet of the game was key, as neither team shot particularly well, with Clarkson starting off 3-for-21 from the floor before rebounding to go 5-for-12 in the waning minutes. RPI shot just 6-for-32. The Knights also had ample second chances with 13 first-half offensive rebounds and 31 total rebounds. Leighann Tomita (Cerritos, CA) led the team with six points, going 6-for-6 from the free throw line, as eight different players recorded at least one point. For RPI, Sarah Wetmore tallied seven points while Hillary McKinley contributed seven points and six rebounds.

Rensselaer erased the lead in less than four minutes, taking the lead on a Katie Hansan 3-point play, 31-30. The Engineers extended the edge to five points and it appeared as if they had found a rhythm that would take away the run by Clarkson in the first half, but the Knights went on a 12-2 run and regained a five-point lead.

The two teams went back and forth for most of the final moments, many points coming on free throws, which were vital since the two teams combined to shoot just 3-for-31 from beyond the 3-point arc. The Engineers took the lead on a Hillary McKinley put back in the final minute and Clarkson had just 23 seconds on its final possession.

After a timeout with eight seconds remaining, Leighann Tomita nearly lost the ball, but found an outlet in Clabeaux near the 3-point line. Clabeaux didn’t hesitate and maneuvered through traffic and banked in an eight-footer on the run with just 0.9 seconds to go for the game-winning basket.

Carey Turner (Clifton Park, NY) finished with 13 points to lead Clarkson, while Clabeaux had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Hillary McKinley was tough in the middle for Rensselaer, recording 23 points and 13 rebounds, as well as five blocks. Sarah Wetmore also tossed in 21 points to go along with eight boards.