Pittsford, N.Y. – Clark University opened the second half on a 26-8 run, turning a two-point halftime advantage into a 20-point second half lead as they cruised to a convincing 90-71 win over Thomas College in the first game of the Woodcliff Hotel and Spa Tournament on Sunday evening.

After a 19-day layoff, the Cougars continued their strong start to the 2013-14 campaign, improving to 8-2 on the season while the Terriers slip to 2-6.

Thomas actually held a six point lead in the early going after a Stanley Greene, Jr. three-pointer gave them a 12-6 edge less than four minutes into the game.

Clark eventually went ahead following a 14-4 run highlighted by three-pointers from Nicholas DaPrato (Marshfield, Mass.) and Jake Gubitose (Fiskdale, Mass.) and a pair of hoops from Marcus Armstrong (Malden, Mass.) that made the score 24-18 with less than ten minutes to play.

The Terriers took the lead back at 37-36 when Levi Barnes dropped in a triple of his own with less than two minutes remaining in the half, but an inside basket from Andrew Musler (Belmont, Mass.) and a top-of-the-key three-pointer from David Mercier (Milford, Mass.) helped the Cougars to a 41-39 halftime edge.

After a missed dunk by Barnes to start the second half, Clark ran off nine straight points to ignite the game changing run. Thomas committed five turnovers during the spurt that helped the Cougars offense pick up momentum and when the dust settled, seven different Clark players had scored and the score stood at 67-47 with a little less than 13 minutes left to play.

The Cougars' lead ballooned to as many as 27 at 90-63 in the final minute after a 7-0 run that featured an inside finish from Corey Gomes (Uxbridge, Mass.), free throws from Matthew Woods (Arlington, Mass.) and a three-point play from Mercier.

Clark controlled the interior, holding a 46-24 edge in rebounds and outscored the Terriers 42-24 in the paint. The Cougars also shot a season-best 50.7 percent from the field (34-67) and their reserves held a 35-10 advantage in points off the bench.

DaPrato led all scorers with 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting to go along with six rebounds and three assists, while Tyler Huffman (East Hartford, Conn.) provided ten points and three boards.

In addition to those double figure scorers, both Mercier and Gubitose had nine points while Lucas LaLima (Colts Neck, N.J.) and Musler each chipped in with eight points.

Clark will return to the hardwood on Monday with a 1:00 p.m. matchup against Southern Maine on the final day of the tournament.