Saratoga Springs, NY – Sophomore guard Keith Murray (Queens, NY) made a pair of free throws with just seven seconds remaining to help ice a 63-58 Liberty League victory for the Clarkson University Men’s Basketball team against Skidmore on Friday night.

The Golden Knights improved to 8-12 overall and 6-3 in the Liberty League, winning for the second time in three games. Skidmore dropped to 6-14 and 1-8. Clarkson returns to action on Saturday against Union.

Neither team could come away with any points for the first four minutes of the game, but the Knights finally took the lid off the basket with a jumper from Elson Pickering (Brooklyn, NY). From there, Clarkson enjoyed a lead for most of the half, but could never push its advantage by more than four points, which is where the first half ended, 22-18.

Skidmore rallied to take the lead briefly in the second half, but a run of free throws midway through the half pushed Clarkson’s edge to eight points, 50-42. The Thoroughbreds responded with a 12-2 run as Bobby Langford scored five of Skidmore’s next 12 points, taking a 54-52 lead with 2:39 remaining. Just 18 seconds after the Thoroughbreds took the lead, junior guard Brian Salanger (Syracuse, NY) responded with a 3-pointer to help the Knights regain the lead. Another 3-pointer from James Evans (Hamburg, NY) pushed Clarkson’s lead to four points, and the Knights finished off the game with free throws to hold off the Thoroughbreds.

Pickering, who scored a career-high 28 points in the first meeting against Skidmore, again had his way with the Thoroughbreds, scoring a game-high 18 points, shooting 6-for-8 from the field and 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Pickering also added 5 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3 steals. Sophomore Brandon Linton (Queens, NY), Murray, and Jonathan Hood (Cortlandt Manor, NY) each scored 10 points. Linton also contributed 7 assists and 5 rebounds.

Skidmore’s Bobby Langford produced 16 points, shooting 7-for-7 from the field, and Jeff Altimar and Ryan Fischer-Werner each scored 10 points.