Poughkeepsie, N.Y. - Junior Braeden Burns would pass the 1,000 point milestone midway through the first half but the Clarkson University Men's Basketball team was unable to reverse an 11-point halftime deficit, falling to Vassar College, 56-54, Friday evening. 

Clarkson now sits at 5-7 overall, 0-5 in conference play and will face Bard at 4 p.m. on Saturday, looking for that first league win of 2025-26. Vassar moves to 7-3 overall, 3-0 in the Liberty League. 

Both teams would go a combined 2-11 over the opening four minutes of play, Steve DeRegis connected on his first three-point attempt on the opening Clarkson possession before Eric Zhang answered with a driving layup to make it 3-2. An old-fashioned three-point play from Nate Abernathy answered two Brewer free throws on the other end before a crafty off-hand layup by Kreekor Karageuzian made it 6-6 before the first media break. 

A 6-0 run out of that timeout from Vassar would be stemmed by a DeRegis driving layup and an Aydin Kocak straightaway three cutting the Brewer lead to 12-11 approaching the halfway point of the first half. Despite the brief momentum shift, Vassar would then rattle off an 11-2 run over the next four minutes to push the lead to 23-13. A Burns driving finish at the rim with 9:13 remaining would be the sole Clarkson basket over those four minutes, marking the junior's eclipse of the 1,000 career point milestone. 

A scoreless period of more than four minutes would then follow for both teams before being broken by Lorenzo Rappa with a finish at the rim as Clarkson would look to cut into the deficit on the scoreboard. The Knights would then fashion a 7-0 run up to the 2:31 mark, capped off by a Burns three to cut the lead to 25-22 but an answer in the form of an 8-0 streak for the Brewers meant they would lead 33-22 at the half. 

Field goal percentages of 32% for Clarkson and 36% for Vassar characterized a tough shooting start for both sides. The Brewers were the better team according to the halftime numbers, holding the upper hand in points in the paint (20-12), second chance points (13-5) and bench points (12-0) while turning the ball over just three times to Clarkson's seven. 

DeRegis would open the second half in similar fashion to the first knocking down a three a minute and a half into play as Clarkson would get the deficit down to eight and then nine following an and-1 from Shea Fitzgerald and another tough finish in traffic from Burns. 

An extended 7-0 run for the Knights from DeRegis and Burns over the next three minutes got Clarkson back to within four at 38-34 with 14:25 left. A quick response from Vassar in the form of a midrange jumper would again be answered by a DeRegis three as Clarkson would enter the second media timeout of the half down just three. 

Timely buckets from the Knights kept Clarkson just within striking distance, pulling within two points on multiple trips as the contest entered the final ten minutes of play. A three from Nate Abernethy at the 8:12 mark pulled Clarkson back level at 48-48, tying the score for the first time since 6-6 early in the first half. 

Despite different defensive looks from the Brewers, throwing man-to-man and zone matchups at the Knights, Clarkson would fashion a 6-0 run up to the three minute mark, taking the lead on an Abernethy floater in the lane before Lorenzo Rappa made it 54-51 with two free throws. A free throw from Parker Neuenhaus knotted the score at 54-54 as Vassar would get a stop on the defensive end on the next possession and take a timeout with 55 seconds remaining. Clarkson would force a miss but be unable to grab the rebound as Sebastian Medina would go one of two at the charity stripe to make it 55-54 and the Knights would take a timeout of their own following a defensive board by Burns. 

Vassar would then force a turnover following the inbounds and again go one of two at the free throw line to go up 56-54 with the Knights in possession of the ball and 15 seconds on the clock. Out of a timeout Clarkson would be unable to get anything going towards the rim for a tie and were instead forced to settle for a last-ditch three from well behind the three-point line as Vassar would hold on for the 56-54 win. 

Clarkson would shoot much better from the field (33%) compared to Vassar (27%) but marks of 20-12 in second chance points and 14-2 in bench points just about gave the Brewers that required edge. Vassar also held a 19-8 margin in offensive rebounds, 49-39 overall. 

DeRegis and Burns would register 18 and 17, respectively, while DeRegis dished out a team-best three assists. Kocak and Abernethy both grabbed seven boards for the Knights. Neuenhaus and Shea Fitzgerald both tallied 14 for the Brewers with eight of Fitzgerald's points coming at the free throw line. Sacha Greenberg added seven points and 12 rebounds in the win.