Saints Hold on to First-Half Advantage to Drop Clarkson, 67-62
by:
Whit Haynes '10Sophomore Garrett Sharlow earned a game-high 23 points Tuesday against Clarkson.
Feb. 2: Sophomore Garrett Sharlow earned a game-high 23 points Tuesday, to help the St. Lawrence men's basketball team defeat North Country rival Clarkson University, 67-62 in the Burkman Gymnasium.
The Saints improve to a 10-9 (6-2) overall record, while the Golden Knights fall to a 10-8 (4-4) mark.
Sharlow shot 9-of-14 from the field to lead the Saints and also racked up a game high eight rebounds. Senior captain Josh Sharlow trailed with ten total points off 4-of-9 shooting and posted a team-high four assists and three steals. Clarkson's Keith Murray earned a team-high 16 points, shooting 7-of-12 from the floor, trailed by teammate Felix Llanos who tallied 13 total points. Jonathan Hood grabbed a team-high six rebounds, while Brandon Linton led the Golden Knights in assists with six.
Right
from the opening tip, the Saints controlled the pace of play, jumping out to a
10-2 lead just three minutes into the game, thanks in large part to a strong
start by Garrett Sharlow, who scored seven points on a pair of lay ups and a three-pointer.
Forcing a second timeout in the first three minutes, St. Lawrence didn't let up
defensively, causing Clarkson to take deep three-pointers against the zone and
highly-contested shots from the paint. The strategy certainly worked, as the
Saints went on another 10-2 run to push their lead to 16 points at the 12:29
mark.
Clarkson would finally break out of its funk, but St. Lawrence kept pushing the
pace and getting to the free throw line with its inside play. The Saints
doubled up the opponents with five minutes remaining (32-16) and nearly ended
the half the same way with a 17-point lead, 39-22.
Though the St. Lawrence defense didn't necessarily create many turnovers, their
continued pressure and ferocity on the boards allowed the team to enjoy an
18-10 edge in rebounds, minimizing Clarkson's second chances, as the Golden
Knights shot just 30 percent for the first half (9-for-30). Conversely, the
Saints were an offensive powerhouse, burying their outside shots when open and
converting easy chances in the paints for a 71.4 shooting percentage
(15-for-21).
In the second half, Clarkson found a bit of a rhythm, and stopped forcing shots
from the outside. Following a pair of free throws from George Koduah, Clarkson
pulled to within seven points, 47-40. However, a three-point play on a Terry
Parham jumper ended the Knights run and St. Lawrence resumed its double-digit
advantage. Each time Clarkson made a run to get back into the contest, the
Saints responded with a 3-pointer or lay up on the other end. It wouldn't be until
the final two minutes that the game would be somewhat in doubt, as Clarkson
pulled to within nine points with two minutes remaining. Unfortunately, St.
Lawrence went cold and the Golden Knights took advantage, pulling to within
three points with 50 seconds to go.
Though Clarkson would make a furious comeback in the final minutes of the game,
St. Lawrence's swarming defense on the last possession caused a key turnover
when Josh Sharlow leapt into the air and snagged a pass to a three-point
shooter. The senior then flung a pass forward on the fast break to Parham, who
converted the insurance lay-up to give the Saints their final five-point edge.
The Saints head on the road this weekend to take on conference opponent Vassar College, Friday, February 5th in Poughkeepsie, NY. Tip-off is set for 8:00 pm.