Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y. - The Clarkson University Men's Basketball team would hold a double-digit scoring advantage in both halves on the afternoon, as the team earned a 82-56 victory over Bard College, Saturday. 

With the win, Clarkson moves to 6-7 overall, 1-5 in conference play and will host Hobart and Skidmore, January 16th and 17th, next time out in Alumni Gymnasium. The Raptors of Bard drop to 1-12 overall, 0-6 in the Liberty League as the team finds itself in the midst of a 10-game losing streak. 

Aydin Kocak would get the Knights out to a quick 6-0 start with two wing threes before Nate Abernethy produced a smooth finish at the rim under pressure to make it an 8-0 Clarkson lead in the first two minutes, forcing Bard to burn an early timeout. After the Raptors managed to find their footing and connect on a three and midrange jumper, Braeden Burns would come down and hit a three of his own followed by a Nate Abernethy and-1 trip to push the lead to 17-5 in favor of the Knights. 

Burns would soon make it 14 with two free throws but a 7-0 run from the Raptors cut the deficit to 19-12 with 13 minutes left and get within four following an offensive rebound putback by Dimitrios Zampoukas less than three minutes later. Steve DeRegis quickly restored the seven-point advantage with a long three-pointer off a baseline inbounds which sparked a 15-0 run over the next four minutes, expanding the lead to 39-19, while Bard was held scoreless for over five minutes straight. 

A 6-2 run over the final two minutes of the first half for Bard, capped off by a buzzer beater three that was banked in by Jalen Umstead, meant that Clarkson would enter the break up 43-28. The Knights would connect on just one of their last seven field goals of the half but still finish the first 20 minutes shooting 44% from the field with six turnovers and 14 assists as a team. Bard would go into halftime shooting 42% from the field along with a dismal 38% from the free throw line while also turning the ball over six times.

Bard would score the first three points of the second half but a 10-0 answer from the Knights, with a thundering dunk from Burns on a fast break, saw the score move to its largest difference of the afternoon, 53-31, in favor of Clarkson just over five minutes in. Bard would finally break their scoring drought with a layup by Azikiwe Cuffy-Scott before DeRegis countered with a deep three and driving layup on the next two possessions to make it a 15-2 run in favor of the Knights. 

Down 60-33 with the 10 minute mark approaching, the Raptors would strike for a 9-0 run in a little over two minutes to cut it back to 18 following an and-1 finish and free throw by Zampoukas. That Raptor momentum would short lived as DeRegis, Burns and Matt Toscano combined to score seven straight in two minutes to give Clarkson a 24 point cushion with seven minutes remaining. 

Both teams would cycle in their reserves for the final three minutes in which Clarkson would get up by as much as 30, courtesy of a three by James Dingman from the right wing that made it 82-52. Bard would score the final four points of the contest for the 82-56 final. 

Overall, Clarkson would finish shooting 47% from the field along with a 39% (14-36) three point percentage. The 36 threes attempted accounts for a new season-high. The Knights held a significant advantage in points in the paint (32-20) and fastbreak points (11-2) while only turning the ball over 12 times. Bard would finish shooting 42% from the field and continue to struggle at the free throw line, shooting 50% overall. The Raptors received a nice boost from their bench with 22 bench points. 

DeRegis led the Golden Knights with a game-high 23 points and four assists while Abernethy added 18 points and 11 rebounds. Burns (14) and Kocak (11) also finished in double-figures for Clarkson. Angelos Bratakos led Bard with 12 points, Zampoukas collected seven boards.