Potsdam, NY – Once again, a balanced effort that saw four players finish in double figures pushed the Clarkson University Men’s Basketball team to victory as the Golden Knights claimed the 2010 North Country Invitational title with a 67-60 victory over crosstown rival Potsdam State Saturday afternoon at Alumni Gymnasium.

The Golden Knights improved to 3-0 on the week and the season, and will look to continue their hot start on Tuesday at Plattsburgh State. The Bears fell to 1-2 overall on the year.

The Golden Knights opened the contest with the first eight points, thanks to a pair of 3-point field goals from Felix Llanos (Queens, NY), but instead of folding Potsdam roared right back with six unanswered points of its own. While Clarkson was able to maintain a solid advantage throughout the half, Potsdam continually held its own. Trailing by 11 with four minutes to go in the half, the Bears ended the period with a 7-1 run to cut the margin to just five points.

Llanos had eight points to lead all scorers in the first half, while Jonathan Hood (Cortlandt Manor, NY) added in seven points. Freshman Marques Charlton (Deer Park, NY) made the most of his opportunities, scoring four points on three shots while making four steals in 10 minutes off the bench. Potsdam’s output was spread among seven players, with Anthony Williams and Curtis Pearce each scoring four points with a healthy amount of rebounds, combining for 13 in the opening 20 minutes.

Early on a 3-pointer from Potsdam’s Eddie Cross had the Bears within six points at the 16:29 mark, but Clarkson quickly responded with an 11-2 run over the next three minutes, including five points from senior Rey Jefferson (Budd Lake, NJ), giving the Knights a 15-point advantage. Clarkson was able to keep its lead close to double figures for most of the second half, with senior Shawn Lasalita (San Diego, CA) burying a 3-pointer with six minutes to go, giving the Knights a 56-44 lead. However, Potsdam made more than a good showing down the stretch, making free throws and getting in the paint for easy lay ins, cutting the 12-point lead down to three with just three minutes remaining. The final moments belonged to Clarkson, though, as the Knights clutch free throw shooting down the stretch was enough to hold off the Bears.

Jefferson and Llanos finished with 12 points each, while Hood and Lasalita each tossed in 11 points. Potsdam freshman Rob Duquette led all scorers with 16 points in only 24 minutes, and Curtis Pierce added a near double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds.

In the first game, the College of St. Joseph held off SUNY Canton, 67-59. Without standout Tony Valentin, Canton needed to find its points elsewhere, and four different players contributed six points or more. The Kangaroos enjoyed a one-point advantage in the opening minutes, but St. Joseph’s held the lead for the final 17 minutes of the contest. An 8-1 run midway through the half gave the Saint a double-digit advantage, but Canton nearly completed a comeback with a 3-point field goal from Jajuan Williams with just over three minutes to go in the half. A pair of lay ups in the final minute pushed St. Joseph’s lead back to five at the break.

Canton’s offensive rebounding kept them in the contest as the Kangaroos grabbed 13 boards on their own end. Silvon John and Irving Cato each tallied eight points for Canton, while Rahiem Smalls was a force inside for the Saints, nearly coming through with a double-double in the first half with 12 points and eight rebounds to go along with two assists, two blocks, and two steals.

In the second half, St. Joseph’s pushed its advantage to double figures early on and was able to hold a multi-possession advantage for the majority of the half. Canton cut the deficit to single digits late, but there simply wasn’t enough time to overcome the margin.

St. Josephs Rahiem Smalls finished with a double-double, closing with 26 points and 12 rebounds thanks to 10-for-18 shooting from the floor and a 6-for-7 performance from the free throw line. KJ Jackson added 11 points, six rebounds, and four blocks. For Canton, Jajuan Williams closed the game with 19 points, going 8-for-10 from the free throw line with three 3-point field goals. Silvon John had a double-double of his own, with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Khalid Vaughn nearly had one himself with 15 points and nine rebounds.