Canton, NY – A 27-point fourth quarter forced overtime in the season-opener for the Clarkson University Women's Basketball team, but the Golden Knights could not sustain the pace in the extra session, falling 77-72 to SUNY Canton on Tuesday evening.

The Golden Knights will take a few days off from competition before the second contest of the season, heading to Canton again this Saturday to face St. Lawrence University.

Clarkson scored the first basket of the game on Tuesday following a free throw from Canton, but that would be the only time that the Golden Knights would lead until late in the contest. Canton went on an 8-0 run to take an early lead and four free throws in the final minute pushed the Kangaroos to a double-digit advantage after just 10 minutes had expired. In the second quarter, Clarkson briefly was within single digits, but by the third the margin expanded to as many as 15 after a layup-and-one from Kat Taru-McRobbie put the score at 48-33. The first possession of the fourth quarter saw Sierra Pabo bury a 3-pointer to return the lead to 15, but it was at that point that the Knights began to make a comeback.

Clarkson steadily got back into the game and eventually reduced the gap to just four points when Raelin Burns made a pair of free throws with just over five minutes to go in the contest. Canton increased its lead to a more comfortable margin, but it was only briefly, as Doyle made a free throw and then hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to two. Cassidy Dumont's lay in with 2:42 left tied the game at 62 and then a Doyle layup a minute later gave Clarkson its first lead since the score stood at 2-1. Canton regained the lead late in the contest, but a last second jumper from Cassidy Dumont tied the contest at 66 to send things to overtime.

In the extra session, the two teams went back and forth with the lead for the first few minutes, but free throws allowed Canton to finally gain a bit of a foothold with a three-point margin and only 90 seconds to go. Cassidy Dumont scored in the lane to pull the Knights back within one in the final 30 seconds of the contest, but put the Knights in the position to need to foul. Canton took advantage, making four free throws in the final 15 seconds to ice the game.

Doyle finished with 24 points on 11-for-20 shooting while also adding in 11 rebounds in the season-debut. Dumont also dropped in 16 points to go along with six rebounds and six assists, pulling her to within three points of the century mark for her collegiate career. Fallon Griffin also recorded 13 points in her collegiate debut, making three 3-pointers.

For Canton, Kat Taru-McRobbie was 10-for-23 from the floor for 24 points, Torie Moore had 17 points and 13 boards, and Sierra Pabo produced 14 points. Hope Ancieto also had 11 points, six rebounds, and five assists.