Potsdam, NY – After a tough fourth quarter in which the team lost a big lead, the Clarkson University Women's Basketball team got the shots it needed down the stretch and then had a big defensive stand on the final possession to hold on for a 77-76 win over William Smith on Saturday afternoon.

The Golden Knights improved to 8-11 overall and 5-9 in Liberty League contests, while William Smith saw its mark drop to 6-15 and 4-10. Clarkson hosts Ithaca College and Rensselaer next weekend for its final home games of 2022-23.

William Smith rolled out to an 8-4 lead in the first three minutes of the contest, but Clarkson responded with 14-0 run in the next three minutes to take a double-digit lead. Although William Smith would come back to within two by the end of the quarter, Clarkson would have the lead until late in the fourth quarter.

In the second, Clarkson turned a six-point lead into a 12-point advantage in just 20 seconds, when Cassidy Dumont made three straight free throws and followed up with a 3-pointer on the next possession. A last second jumper in the period from Dumont put the Knights up by 13 at the break.

The lead expanded to the high-teens early in the third, but the Herons decided to change things up with a complete switch of their five, and the game remained in reach for William Smith. Clarkson did hit three 3-pointers in a stretch of just 53 seconds to expand the lead to 22 (62-40), and the margin settled at 20 through 30 minutes.

The fourth quarter saw William Smith go on an offensive roll, pounding the ball inside for layups but mixing in just enough perimeter shots to keep Clarkson's defense honest. Clarkson led by 11 (71-60) after an Elaina Porter layup at 5:01, but William Smith went on a 14-2 run over three minutes, capped off by a 3-pointer from Brooke Jarvis that gave the Herons the lead for the first time since early in the opening quarter. Two more free throws put the Herons up by three, but Elaina Porter hit a big 3-pointer from near the top of the key to tie the game with just over a minute to go.

After some offensive rebounds allowed Clarkson to hold the ball for the final shot without giving the Herons a chance at a last second shot, William Smith chose to foul despite the game being tied. The fifth foul of the period sent Raelin Burns to the line, where she made one of her two free throws. On the ensuing possession, Clarkson jumped passing lanes and kept William Smith from getting into an offensive groove by continually knocking the ball out of bounds. Eventually, William Smith was able to get a shot off, but Kerstin Kelly's attempt from just inside the 3-point arc came up short, and Clarkson secured the one-point win.

Sophomore Cassidy Dumont scored 23 points for the second straight night, shooting 8-for-14 from the floor. Raelin Burns had a season-high 21 points, going 7-for-10 from the free throw line, and Elaina Porter added 15 points. Bella Doyle produced 9 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists, and Mariah Benavides added nine points and seven assists.

For William Smith, Brooke Jarvis finished with 37 points and 10 rebounds, going 14-for-22 from the floor. Lauren DeVaney also had a double-double on 13 points and 11 boards.