Saints Beats Clarkson 75-63
Men’s Basketball Defeats Rival Clarkson
University Saints squared off against conference foe and rival the Clarkson Golden Knights in the first matchup of the year in Potsdam. This game was a crucial early-season opportunity for SLU, as last season, Clarkson defeated the Saints twice; 59-37 in Burkman and 83-77 at home. Of course, the Saints were looking to get some sweet revenge on Clarkson and start off on the right foot against one of their men’s Liberty League rivals.
The game started as a seesaw, back-and-forth battle between both sides, as Clarkson relied on their three-point shooting to get off to a hot start. At the same time, SLU’s Chris Downs Jr. ‘26 asserted himself early in the game by scoring in the low post and knocking down multiple mid-range jumpers. Before seven minutes to go in the first half, the Saints and Golden Knights were knotted up at 21, and then the momentum started to shift in Clarkson’s favor. With Steve DeRegis ’27 knocking down multiple three-pointers, a couple of layups, and locking in on the defensive side by only letting SLU score two points in this stretch, Clarkson went into halftime with a 31-23 lead. The Golden Knights had the chance to pull away and expand upon their momentum into the second half. However, for Clarkson, this did not happen.
As soon as the second half started, both teams began to really find their rhythm on the offensive end. Nate Abernethy ’29 and Braeden Burns ’29 scored multiple times in the early stages of the second half, while for SLU, Aidan Phelan ’29 knocked down a key jumper and a big-time three to keep the Saints hanging around on the road. With 13 minutes left in the second half, both teams were tied at 41, and this time, the Saints were the ones who went on a key run to assert themselves. Adam Dudzinski ’26 led the charge for SLU chipping on a couple of layups to expand the lead, along with Dan Anderson ’26, who used his speed and quickness to drive to the rack and also get multiple layups. The score read 55-47 in favor of the Saints with about seven minutes to go when Downs connected on a fadeaway jumper for the and-one to give SLU a double-digit lead heading into the media timeout. By knocking down key free throws down the stretch and executing on the offensive end, SLU was able to expand this lead to as much as 15 points before the final buzzer sounded, with SLU winning the first of two games against Clarkson 75-63. As far as stats for both teams, it was Chris Downs Jr. leading the way for the Saints, totaling 20 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Also, Adam Dudzinski ’27 contributed 16 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks and three steals.
More Saints who contributed to the game were Dan Anderson ’28, who had 14 points, four rebounds, four assists, and four steals, and Phelan, who notched 13 points. For the Golden Knights, both Steve DeRegis and Nate Abernethy each had 18 points, while Burns chipped in 16 points along with two rebounds and four assists. This victory was a statement win for the Saints, as beating a rival in the North Country is always significant.
Up next, the Saints will face off against the Plattsburgh State Cardinals on Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. in Burkman. It should be a competitive matchup against a familiar SUNYAC opponent. This concludes our coverage for now, and be on the lookout for more articles.