Potsdam, NY – Junior Felix Llanos (Queens, NY) scored a career-high 20 points as the Clarkson University Men’s Basketball team rode a strong first half and held on for a 61-50 victory over Elmira College Friday night at Alumni Gymnasium.

The Golden Knights moved to 5-1 on the season with their second straight victory, and will close out the first semester’s games on December 13th when they travel to Medaille College. Elmira fell to 1-5 on the campaign.

Clarkson came out firing in the first half, making four of their five first 3-point attempts to take a 15-point lead early (19-4) in the first 10 minutes. Elmira would finally get on the scoreboard with some lay ups, but the Knights were able to hold at least a double-digit lead for the final 10 minutes, with the advantage expanding to as many as 19 points, before settling at 17 at intermission.

Llanos led the Knights with 14 points in the first half, burying four 3-pointers in the process. Overall, the Knights made seven shots from long distance, though the team cooled considerably from the perimeter as the half went on. Senior Jonathan Hood (Cortlandt Manor, NY) added in six rebounds and three assists for the Knights. For Elmira, Josh Keys came off the bench to contribute nine points, going 4-for-7 from the floor.

Elmira came out with renewed energy in the second half and the Soaring Eagles showed that they were far from rolling over. The Soaring Eagles chipped away steadily, getting back to within single digits before trimming Clarkson’s lead to just five points (53-48). The Eagles began to work on the boards harder and received some second chances, while Clarkson couldn’t buy a basket from the outside, shooting 0-for-7 in the half from beyond the arc. However, just when it seemed like the momentum had completely swung, George Koduah (Accra, Ghana) buried a pair of tough shots to help the Knights run off six straight points to reclaim a double-figure advantage, holding on for the 11-point victory.

Along with his 20 points, Llanos also added in six rebounds and four assists, while Koduah continued his outstanding season in regards to field-goal percentage, shooting 7-for-10 for 14 points. Hood also added in 12 rebounds. For the Soaring Eagles, Keys scored 16 points and Zach Simpson tossed in 11 points. Noah Zazulia tied Hood for a game-high 12 rebounds.