Potsdam, NY – In a game that was totally ravaged with fouls, Hamilton made the most of its opportunities from the free throw line, counting 34 of its 59 points from 15-feet, to take a 59-42 decision over the Clarkson University Men’s Basketball team Friday night at Alumni Gymnasium.
The Golden Knights dropped to 8-14 overall and 6-5 in the Liberty League, while Hamilton moved to 14-6 and 7-3. Clarkson hopes to get back on track against Hobart on Saturday, and Hamilton will face first-place St. Lawrence in Canton.
The Continentals roared out to a 9-0 lead in the first minute of the game, immediately putting pressure on the Knights. However, Clarkson weathered the storm early on, thanks to a pair of 3-point field goals from Keith Murray (Queens, NY). Hamilton responded with an increased presence on defense, and Clarkson matched that intensity as both teams combined to score just 32 points in the final 19 minutes of the half.
Harlee Wood led both teams with eight points, making all four his free throw attempts, and added four rebounds. Jay Simpson, a game-time decision due to an injury, also responded with five points, all of which came in the opening barrage. Murray closed with six points for Clarkson and Jonathan Hood (Cortlandt Manor, NY) added five points, five rebounds and three steals off the bench.
The second half was quite sloppy defensively, as both teams reached the bonus within five minutes. Neither team could do much offensively with their chances, however, as the first field goal wasn’t recorded until six minutes into the half. Hamilton recorded just one point on a free throw until the 12:41 mark when the Continentals nailed a 3-pointer to break their field goal drought. With whistles ringing throughout the half (both teams were in the double-bonus within the first 10 minutes), it was difficult for either team to get much of an offensive flow or cohesiveness. As the fouls mounted up, Hamilton took better advantage of the freebies than the Knights did, finishing the second half with 22 makes in 34 free throw attempts. The Knights made just 11 of their 22 free throws in the final 20 minutes.
Brandon Linton (Queens, NY) scored a team-high eight points to lead Clarkson, and added in six assists. Murray contributed seven points and eight rebounds before fouling out. Six players had at least four fouls for Clarkson, with three fouling out.
Harlee Wood scored a game-high 13 points for Hamilton, but shot just 2-for-10 from the floor. Jay Simpson added 10 points in 28 minutes for the Continentals.
