Trey Syroka's clutch layup with 2.5 seconds remaining proved to be the game-winning shot for the St. Lawrence University men's basketball team, as they won their sixth straight game by coming back on Clarkson on the road to win 73-72.

The game was a wild, see-saw affair between two rivals which saw the host Golden Knights lead by as many as 12 points, while the Saints only led by a maximum of two points despite having the upper hand on nine different occasions in the contest.

With the victory, St. Lawrence now holds an 8-2 conference record and is 12-4 overall, firmly in first place in the Liberty League standings. 

"This was a gritty effort by our group, I'm encouraged by the way they stuck together and battled back into the game," said Chris Downs, Saints head coach. "There are no easy nights in the Liberty League, and that will be just as true as we head into a weekend of games against Bard and Vassar."

Syroka wasn't only clutch in the final moments of the game, the Saints team captain also led the Saints in points with 18 over the course of the contest.

St. Lawrence found themselves in an unfamiliar position for their 2024 – trailing in the first half. The Golden Knights filled it up with three-balls to kick off the game with an early lead, going up 14-5 three minutes into the contest and forcing a timeout from coach Downs.

The teams would then trade points, with the Saints chipping away at the lead until Syroka knotted the score up at 26 near the end of the first half. Clarkson re-took the lead by five to send the teams to the break with the hosts in the driver's seat.

Clarkson built the lead up to 12 early in the half before the Saints erased it, with Adam Dudzinski giving St. Lawrence a lead with a layup at just over the five-minute mark. They then would trade leads until the final seconds, when Syroka had a layup of his own to seal the Saints victory.

Clarkson were able to move the ball up court and get a final shot off from the corner, but it fell short of the basket giving St. Lawrence a slim road win, their first of 2024.

Balanced scoring was one of the keys to victory for St. Lawrence once again, as they received 10 points from at least five players on the roster. Syroka's 18 led the group, while Adam Dudzinski had 12, Troy McPherson chipped in with 11, Aidan Macaulay had 11, and Andrew Cowan had 10.  At least four Saints have registered over 10 points in three of the team's last four games.