Annandale-on-Hudson, NY – For nearly a quarter century, the Clarkson University Women’s Basketball team has competed in some sort of conference, and Friday evening the Golden Knights did something they had never done before in limiting the Bard College offense to fewer than 30 points in a 66-27 Liberty League victory.

The Golden Knights improved to 7-8 overall and 2-5 in the Liberty League and will take on Vassar College on Saturday afternoon. Bard remained winless in conference games at 0-7, falling to 1-15 on the season.

Clarkson had its characteristic slow start in the opening minutes but quickly found a rhythm. Bard scored the first basket of the game and still led by a point at the 17:49 mark following another field goal, but Clarkson took the lead at 16:28 and never looked back, striking for an 11-0 run that would produce a double-digit lead. Brad ended a five-plus minute scoring drought with a 3-pointer, but again went cold for another five-minute stretch as Clarkson enjoyed a 15-point advantage with 6:35 to go (22-7). The two teams played virtually even for the rest of the half, as Clarkson closed with a 30-14 edge at the half.

Clarkson didn’t shoot particularly well at a 39 percent clip (13-for-33), but held a modest rebounding advantage and also limited their miscues to eight. The Raptors on the other hand were forced into 16 turnovers and shot just 24 percent (6-for-25). Three different players scored six points for the Knights in the first half, led by Brooke Butkovsky (Monroe, CT) who scored her three baskets in just seven minutes of action.

The Knights allowed Bard back into the contest with a slow start in the second half, turning the ball over five times and shooting just 1-for-6 from the floor in the opening five minutes of the final 20 minutes. However, the next minute saw Clarkson bury its next four field goal attempts to give the Knights their first 20-point lead.

Clarkson shot close to 50 percent from the field for a 10-minute stretch while limiting the Raptors opportunities. Bard scored just one point in a 12-minute run in which Clarkson poured in 27 points, and by then the Raptors were too far gone to make any kind of run at the Knights.

Leighann Tomita (Cerritos, CA) and Taliah Pounds (Latham, NY) each scored 13 points to lead the Knights, with Tomita shooting 5-for-6 from the floor and adding four steals. Freshman Raeanne Clabeaux (New Woodstock, NY) recorded her fourth double-double in eight games with 12 points and 11 rebounds, also chipping in six steals. Butkovsky also finished with 12 points.

Prior to Friday’s game, Clarkson held former league opponent Alfred College to just 32 points during the 1990-91 season. That same year, the Knights also held RIT, another conference foe, to 33 points. The last time Clarkson held a league opponent under 40 points was Vassar in 2008, a stretch of 56 games.