Potsdam, NY – A 17-3 run to start the fourth period provided the breathing room that Rensselaer desperately needed after a couple of close quarters, as the Clarkson University Women's Basketball team suffered a 68-55 defeat to the Engineers on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Gymnasium.

The Golden Knights fell to 4-5 on the season and 0-3 in the Liberty League, while the Engineers edged up to 7-1 and 2-0. Clarkson is off through the remainder of 2024.

Although Clarkson started off with the lead with a 3-pointer, RPI quickly tied the game and did not trail for the rest of the half. The two quarters had wild separations in the first half, as RPI shot 10-for-17 in the first and enjoyed a 23-11 lead late when the Engineers scored eight points in a stretch of 90 seconds. That double-digit margin increased to as many as 14 in the second period and even sat at 12 with just over four minutes remaining, but the Knights went on an 11-0 run in a stretch of two minutes, capped by a Fallon Griffin 3-pointer, that drew the Green and Gold back to within one. The hot shooting continued for the Knights as a 3-pointer from Bella Doyle late had the gap at just two at the break.

Both Doyle and Griffin had 11 points in the first half, as the latter shot 4-for-5 from the field and made all three of her long-range attempts. The 24 points in the second quarter for Clarkson were the most the team scored in the any first-half quarter through the first nine games of the 2024-25 season.

In the third, each team always seemed to have a response for the other. The Golden Knights continually challenged RPI with makes, pulling to within one on five different occasions, including a 3-pointer from Cassidy Dumont at 4:08 that came right after RPI's Julia Rowe made one on the previous possession at the other end of the court. The quarter ended with just a one-point difference when Addie Kea made a free throw with 1.4 seconds remaining.

The end of the third period was also the end of Clarkson's streaky scoring output, while the Engineers began to make key 3-pointers to stretch the margin. The Knights pulled to within five when Raelin Burns hit a 3-pointer at 6:53, but RPI went on a 10-0 run, including back-to-back 3-pointers from Ashlyn O'Neil and Julia Rowe, to put the distance at 15 points. The Knights picked up a little ground on free throws, but it wasn't enough for a comeback.    

Bella Doyle and Raelin Burns each scored 13 points for the Knights, with Doyle also recording seven rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Fallon Griffin finished with 11 points and Cassidy Dumont recorded five assists and four steals.

RPI finished with five players in double figures, led by Julia Rowe's 12 points and 10 rebounds. Ashlyn O'Neil also had 11 points while Siena Smith, Amanda Gallagher, and Marley Mueller each produced 10 points.