POTSDAM, NY – The RIT (6-10, 3-6 Liberty League) men's basketball team defeated Clarkson University 90-85 in Liberty League action from Potsdam, N.Y. Saturday.
RIT shot 52.9 percent from the floor on 27-of-51 shooting. The Tigers made 11-of-19 from beyond the arc, and went 25-of-34 from the foul line.
Curtis Nesbit (Woodbridge, NJ/Woodbridge) led RIT with 24 points. He went 6-of-9 from beyond the arc and added five assists. Kevin Ryan (Rochester, NY/Pittsford Sutherland) tallied 21 points on 6-of-7 shooting and nine rebounds. Cobey Adekanbi (Bloomfield, CT/Loomis Chafee) chipped in 17 points and four rebounds, while Keegan Ocorr (Fairport, NY/Charles Finney) chipped in 14 points and three assists.
Matt Higgins led Clarkson with 24 points and added seven rebounds. Reese Swedberg finished with 18 points for Clarkson who shot 46.9 percent.
RIT led by as many as nine points in the first half, taking a 17-8 lead on a free throw from Kevin Ryan (Rochester, NY/Pittsford Sutherland). Clarkson took a 38-31 lead late in the half, but the Tigers closed the half with an 8-2 spurt to trail 40-39 at the break.
The Tigers shot 57.7 percent from the floor on 15-of-26 shooting. Ryan led the Tigers with 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting, while Curtis Nesbit (Woodbridge, NJ/Woodbridge) finished with 11 points.
RIT tied the score at 44-44 early in the second half on a Ryan bucket. Clarkson took a 52-46 lead on a Reese Swedberg free throw. With 15:36 to play. Swedburg gave the Golden Knights a 57-48 lead with 14:21 to play.
The Tigers answered with an 11-5 run, taking a 59-57 lead on a Nesbit 3-pointer. Matt Anderson (Bennington, VT/Mt. Anthony Union) gave RIT the lead for good on his 3-pointer with 10:02 remaining. The Tigers made 4-of-5 three-pointers down the stretch. RIT shot 48.0 percent from the floor in the second half, including seven three-pointers.
RIT returns to action on Friday, Jan. 31, at Liberty League rival Union College at 7:30 p.m.
