CANTON, NY – Despite a career-high performance from
Sheldon Clay (Detroit, MI/University of Detroit Jesuit), the RIT men's basketball team (7-7, 3-2 Liberty League) fell just short, losing to St. Lawrence (7-6, 3-2 Liberty League), 87-82 on Saturday afternoon.
Clay had a career-high 19 points on efficient 6-of-10 shooting from the field, just missing a double-double with nine rebounds.
AJ Horde (Oak Park, MI/University of Detroit Jesuit) scored 24 points, adding seven assists to lead the Tigers in both categories.
Kamron Davis (Syracuse, NY/Nottingham) scored 14 points to round out the double digit scoring for RIT.
The Tigers shot a scorching 55.8 percent from the field in the contest, while St. Lawrence shot 50 percent. RIT out-rebounded St. Lawrence, 31-28, but had 15 turnovers to just eight by the Saints.
RIT has dropped back-to-back games since winning three straight to begin Liberty League play.
Kyle Edwards led the Saints in scoring with 22 points on 6-for-10 shooting from the field. St. Lawrence had five players score in double figures in the contest, including Ben Crawford, who shot 9-for-11 from the field en route to an 18-point effort.
RIT led wire-to-wire in the first half. A
Kamron Davis (Syracuse, NY/Nottingham) dunk gave the Tigers the early 20-13 lead midway through. With about three minutes to go, St. Lawrence pulled to within two on a layup by Willie Zachary, but the Tigers responded. A 3-pointer by Horde gave the Tigers a five-point cushion, as they eventually went to the locker room with a 41-38 halftime lead.
In the second half the Tigers threatened to pull away. An early 11-4 run capped off by a 3-pointer from Clay gave RIT its biggest lead of the game, at 51-42. The Saints eventually clawed back throughout the second period, eventually taking their first lead of the game at 63-61, pushing the lead to seven, at 72-65, with 3:31 to go.
With the game in the balance, Horde hit a pair of clutch 3-pointers to bring the deficit to two, at 79-77. Needing a defensive stop, Kyle Edwards hit a tough shot from beyond the arc, his dagger putting the game away at 82-77, before a couple of key free throws preserved the victory.
The Tigers will hit the road again this Tuesday, as they take on Hobart (6-7, 2-2 Liberty League) at 8 p.m.
